Birthright
by FidgetGlitterBlossom
Summary: His whole life, Cedric has known that he will someday be called to follow in the footsteps of those who came before him. In the weeks leading up to the annual Samhain Festival, he must finally face his destiny while guiding another to her own. AU. Mild violence. October Special.
1. The Mark

**Birthright**

 **Chapter 1:** The Mark

* * *

It was a brisk autumn evening, just shy of a fortnight after Sofia's sixteenth birthday, and the harvest moon hung full and red in the inky sky above. The trees had begun to shed their healthy summer foliage, their bare branches jutting every which way and darkly contrasting the thick, grey clouds that littered the sky, threatening to snuff out the only light source.

Sofia had stayed well past sundown for an important ballet rehearsal with Professor Popov, practising a solo number for the upcoming recital. Her entire body ached terribly and she was fairly certain she'd never been so tired in her life, even counting the time she had expended all of her magic and fainted while helping Cedric defend the kingdom from a misguided tribe of elves. _I'm going to collapse onto my bed and never leave it again,_ she promised herself as she ambled her way to the ageing stables outside of Royal Prep, thankful that she had brought a cloak with her to combat the crisp October chill, though a small shiver still traced its way down her spine.

As she trudged down the familiar winding paths of her former school, she first got the distinct impression that she was being watched, then followed from a distance. Stopping in her tracks, she glanced around cautiously but found nothing out of the ordinary. _That's odd_ , she mused, but ultimately chalked her restlessness up to a side effect of her bone-deep exhaustion. She continued on her way but couldn't shake the foreboding sensation no matter how she tried. At the double doors to the stables, she heard the telltale rustling and crunching of dried leaves under feet and spun around in time to see an unfamiliar man lunging towards her.

 _ **...**_

"I can't talk right now, father", Cedric muttered dismissively as Goodwyn, fresh from the enchanted portrait, regained his full height beside the desk. "I'm busy preparing the Samhain festivities." While he normally begrudged such menial tasks, Samhain was Sofia's favourite day of the year, and he'd come to enjoy making a big deal out of the royal celebration for her sake.

Undeterred, the elder sorcerer laid a hand on his son's shoulder, gaining his hesitant attention. "It's time, Cedric", Goodwyn spoke softly, but there was an underlying firmness to his tone which conveyed so much more than his actual statement.

Cedric's eyes widened as he easily grasped his father's meaning. For years, he had been simultaneously expecting this particular visit and believing that it would never come.

"What? N– no, it couldn't possibly be. We don't even know wh– who she is yet", he sputtered, his heart beginning to beat harshly beneath his chest as though it might break free from the prison of his rib cage.

"We know enough. It's happening now, at Royal Prep", Goodwyn answered bluntly.

Cedric's mind raced, raw nerves blurring rational thought. Sofia had missed her lesson to practise some dance at the school, and though there were pressing matters that demanded his immediate attention, his main concern was whether she'd made it home yet. Of all the days for this to happen, he griped, resisting the urge to run downstairs to his apprentice's chambers and confirm that she'd come back safely.

"Royal Prep? That's the children's old school. You don't suppose she's a princess, do you?" Cedric queried, still trying to wrap his head around this news.

Goodwyn shrugged, signalling that he now knew exactly as much about the subject as Cedric. "I really couldn't say, but you must go there at once." With that, he vanished back into the portrait that hung on the stone wall.

Left to his own devices, Cedric hurried to his bedroom, lifted the mattress from his bed frame with only mild difficulty, and tugged out an old chest from underneath. He quickly emptied the box of nearly all its contents — tucking them into the various inner pockets of his purple sorcerer's robe.

Finished with his task, he transported to Royal Prep, materialising on the school grounds in time to hear the unmistakable voice of his best friend and apprentice letting out a horrific scream.

"Sofia!" Cedric called out anxiously, hoping against hope that she was somehow okay and willing his sight to adjust to the sudden darkness of his new surroundings.

A guttural, animalistic growl sounded behind him and he spun to find a burly, dark-haired man, haggard in his appearance, pinning the second princess of Enchancia to the dry grass a good distance from where he stood. The scene was nightmarish and he had to fight against the instinct to draw his wand, knowing it would do no good in this battle. _You can do this, Cedric. You trained for this,_ he reassured himself, racing across the field. _About eighteen years ago,_ a second inner voice, one that sounded suspiciously like his father, mocked him, but Cedric shook it away. Fear for Sofia's safety prompted him to act on impulse and he grabbed the back of the man's weathered suit jacket, deftly tugging him off of the girl.

"Run!" Cedric managed to bark out the solitary command before her attacker switched his attention from Sofia to the sorcerer.

I only need to fend him off and give Sofia a chance to escape. She can handle the rest when she gets here. He landed a punch, but the blow mostly served to transform the brute's features into a monstrous visage, complete with a wicked grin. Oh great, I'll just amuse him to death, Cedric chided himself, making a break back across the field. A glance over his shoulder alerted him in an instant that this was a mistake, however, as Sofia hadn't run at all. Rather, she was doing everything she could to lure the beastly man away from her mentor. Worse, she was succeeding. _Why you impudent little—_

"I told you to run!" Cedric huffed as he switched directions yet again, determined to put himself between Sofia and the fiend.

Somehow, she pulled off an indignant glare in his direction while simultaneously dodging an attack.

"What do you want?" Sofia boldly demanded of the stranger, trying to maintain a safe distance as he rushed her again.

"Oh, I can think of a few things", he answered with a sneer, and Cedric was not at all fond of the suggestive tone in his deep voice or the way his gaze lewdly swept across Sofia's form.

Reaching into his robe, Cedric retrieved a long, pointed piece of wood and aimed it at the man's broad back. _I just need to..._ he began to reassure himself, but he lacked the stealth required to sneak up undetected at such a pace and soon he was being thrown hard to the ground, his weapon knocked from his hands to land directly at Sofia's feet. Her eyes travelled from it to him and he shook his head furiously at her. He wanted to insist, again, that she must leave him and escape, but their assailant was on top of him, face so close to Cedric's that he nearly gagged from the overbearing odour of his putrid breath, the weight of the larger man crushing his lungs, rendering him incapable of speech.

"You think you can protect her?" the monster taunted Cedric, punctuating the question with a derisive chortle.

Cedric struggled for the ability to reply, and he was opening his mouth to make an attempt when the man vanished into a cloud of thick black dust, revealing a rather aghast Sofia as it cleared. She hastily dropped the stake and stumbled backwards.

"I–I..." she stammered out, at a complete loss for words. Her face contorted in pure anguish as she stared down at Cedric.

He scrambled to his feet and embraced the girl, wanting with everything in him to calm her, convince her that she'd done nothing wrong. It wasn't uncommon for him, this fierce, inexplicable urge to protect and comfort Sofia. He'd never grown entirely accustomed to it, but it drove him often enough that he no longer questioned it much.

"Shh. It's alright. You did the right thing, Sofia", he soothed the princess, murmuring the words into the wild auburn curls at the top of her head.

She nodded against him, but her body began to tremble and he was perfectly aware that she was trying to be discreet as she cried into his chest. "Did I... Did I kill someone?" she hiccoughed, and Cedric felt an awful pang in his chest.

Of course Sofia, the most kindhearted person he'd ever met, would guilt herself over the man's demise no matter how obviously justified her actions had been.

"No, he wasn't real", Cedric assured her, lifting a hand to stroke his fingers through her hair. _Well, not the way you think he was, at least,_ he added silently.

"What was that?" she breathed, but Cedric simply shook his head, not bothering to suppress a deep sigh.

"I can't tell you that", he whispered regretfully.

If he would break his vow of secrecy for anyone, it would be the princess who currently clung to his robes, but he couldn't. He'd sworn his oath long ago. Besides, the truth wouldn't serve to make her feel any better. He scanned the horizon for the one girl who could have prevented all of this, wondering why she hadn't come.

A plume of ruby smoke appeared nearby soon Cedric was met with the disapproving glower of his father. Usually this would cause him to distance himself from Sofia in order to maintain the appearance of propriety, but after everything she'd gone through he couldn't bring himself to do that to her.

"Where is she?" Goodwyn demanded gruffly, searching for the girl they'd been expecting.

Sofia sniffled into Cedric's robe and peeked out at the older sorcerer.

"She didn't come", Cedric informed his father evenly, coaxing Sofia to relax against him again.

Goodwyn spun to face him, completely befuddled by his words. "What do you mean, 'didn't come'? The Council said you would meet her here", he blustered, clearly unable to believe the girl had been absent for the fight.

"Who are you talking about?" Sofia interjected, gazing up at Cedric with puffy, red-rimmed eyes.

"It doesn't matter right now. Were you harmed?" Cedric questioned, wincing as Sofia nodded softly.

She stepped back from his grasp and for the first time he noticed the rips in the bodice of her gown — deep, angry gashes visible beneath. Cedric nearly choked at the sight.

"Of course it matters. She must be here somewhere", Goodwyn pressed on, completely oblivious to their exchange, as he sought any sign that someone else was nearby.

Cedric ignored him, producing his wand and transporting himself and Sofia back to the tower, his father appearing soon after.

"On the table", Cedric instructed Sofia impatiently, hurrying to his cabinet to dig out a healing salve.

Sofia hopped up onto the surface as she was told and Cedric returned quickly, disregarding his station long enough to pry away the scraps from several layers of blood soaked fabric that clung to her wounds.

"How did this happen?" Goodwyn asked, finally grasping that Sofia was injured. Cedric shot him an annoyed glance before returning to his task.

"I told you, she didn't show up. Sofia could have been killed!" Cedric spat out angrily as he attempted to dislodge a particularly stubborn piece, hesitating when Sofia winced and sucked in a sharp breath.

"The Council couldn't have been wrong", Goodwyn doubled down on his stance, unsurprisingly refusing to believe his son's account of the evening.

"Just like they never miss one", Cedric retorted sardonically.

Goodwyn shook his head at the younger man's tone. "That's precisely why it's so urgent that we find her. If she's activated with no training and no idea of what's happening–" Goodwyn began, but Cedric didn't especially care about any of that right now.

It's her fault that Sofia was hurt, he fumed, though he feigned a smile as he checked on his patient, and soon Sofia nodded that it was alright for him to continue tending to her. "When I find that girl, I'm going to..." Peeling the fabric back further, he trailed off, too astonished to form words as he stared at the broken wine stained ring directly above the top gash on Sofia's torso, closely resembling the teeth marks one might get from a hard bite. His eyes shot up to meet hers, but she avoided his gaze, her cheeks flushing visibly. "Has this always been here?" he questioned her gently.

Sofia swallowed hard before bobbing her head so slightly that he almost missed the gesture.

"You might want to have a look at this", Cedric called over his shoulder to his father, who was now pacing the stone floor behind him.

"For goodness' sake, Cedric, just heal the child already so we can get back to the business at hand", Goodwyn scolded, marching over while making no attempt to mask his annoyance. He stopped abruptly a short distance from the pair, all the colour rapidly draining from his round face. "She bears the mark?"

Cedric was fairly certain his father meant it to be a statement, but it sounded much more like a question. He nodded dumbly, a wide grin spreading across his face. For as long as he could recall he had been dreading this day, but if Sofia truly was the girl they'd spent years seeking, then this might actually be bearable after all. Excitement quickly gave way to apprehension as he remembered that it also meant his best friend now came complete with an early expiration date. He did his best not to think about that and forced the carefree expression to remain plastered on his face.

"It's just a birthmark", Sofia mumbled, self-consciously covering the patch with her arms.

Cedric placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing in a deep breath. "There are some things we need to discuss, Sofia", he told her quietly, unsure how to properly breach the unusual topic.

"I'll leave you to it", Goodwyn dismissed himself, disappearing from the tower.

For his departure, Cedric was utterly grateful. It would be much easier to have this conversation without the old man peering over his shoulder, silently judging every word and bit of contact that passed between the two of them. Sofia may be blissfully unaware of it, but Cedric had heard the lectures about how 'inappropriate' their close friendship was more times than he cared to count and he could definitely do without another one. Cedric engaged himself with slathering Sofia's injuries with the foamy pink salve, deciding that the rest could wait until after she was cared for.

"The girl you were looking for, who was she?" Sofia ventured to ask after he applied the last of it.

Cedric chuckled lightly and perched on the table beside her, wiping the excess cream off onto the leg of his trousers. "Well... you, as it turns out", he whispered, still awed by the revelation.

"I don't understand", she replied, mirroring his hushed tone.

"That mark on your stomach is called the Mark of the Coven. It appears only on very special girls. Remarkable young women born with a destiny to–" he decided to change course to make sure she would have any idea what he was on about. "Have you ever heard of vampires?"

Sofia stared at him like he'd grown a second head and, honestly, he couldn't blame her for being sceptical. "The villagers talked about them sometimes, but mom said they weren't real", Sofia worried her lip as she tried to recall any of the superstitious gossip from her childhood. "I don't remember much of what I overheard."

"They are real, and extremely dangerous. You, uh, you met one tonight, actually", he paused, allowing this information time to sink in. "Some of the girls born with that mark anywhere on them are called to fight them in order to protect others from being killed or turned into more of their kind", he continued, trying to read her unfamiliar expression.

"But not all of them? I mean, I could go my whole life without–" she peered up at him, her bright azure eyes filling with hope. He was loath to disappoint her, but it was his duty.

"Not all of them, but you have been chosen."

Sofia sank against him as he spoke and he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. "So I have to–to fight those... things?" she whimpered, and Cedric nodded, resting his chin on the top of her head as he drew her closer.

"Not alone. I was out there tonight because I'm sworn to help. You should have been identified at birth and brought here for training when you were very young but, for whatever reason, you slipped through the cracks."

Sofia shifted out of his grip to throw her arms around his neck. "Then I'm sure it'll be alright. When we're together, we can handle anything."

Cedric bristled at her optimism, the only one between them who was aware that her life expectancy had been drastically reduced by fate.

* * *

 **11.2.19:** I'm alive. Just some minor edits to things I noticed while backing up stories.

 **5.10.18:** Updated yet again, just typos and grammatical errors.

 **27.8.18 Author's Note:** Changes occurring in this chapter's rewrite include a retcon to make Royal Prep Sofia's old school instead of her current one, and some added content to keep Cedric from chatting away casually while Sofia suffers with an untreated wound. :P Other than that, it's just generally written better than the previous version.

 **1.10.17 Author's Note:** It's finally October, and that means I can FINALLY post this! I've been so excited about this project but now that people will be reading it, I'm ridiculously nervous... Hopefully, some of you will enjoy it for the month. *fingers crossed* No planned update schedule, just kind of winging it. T for now, and I *think* I can manage to keep it that way. So I didn't put this under crossovers because none of the characters from the other series meet the StF characters. Hoping I'm right and that's the distinction.


	2. Vampyr

**Birthright**

 **Chapter 2:** Vampyr

* * *

A familiar knock on Cedric's tower door roused him from a restless night's sleep, and he blinked at the breaking light streaming in through the windows of his bedroom, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. He couldn't think of a single reason Sofia would visit so early in the morning — especially on his day off. Curiosity dragged him out of bed, though the fleeting details of his slumber haunted him as he dressed.

After throwing on his charcoal trousers and olive tunic, he considered shrugging on his sorcerer's robe but ultimately rejected it. Satisfied that his appearance was at least passable for Sofia's company and, not wanting to leave her waiting on the landing any longer, he hurried up the stairs to his workshop just as she renewed her usual rhythm against the wood.

"I had the strangest dream last night", Cedric announced loudly enough to be heard through the barrier as he fumbled with the lock to unbolt it for her.

He opened the door and examined Sofia, who stood on his threshold dressed in her form-fitting plum riding habit — though she had skipped the traditional topper and jacket and added worn brown leather boots in place of her shiny black ones. Her hair, which usually fell in loose ringlets that framed her face and cascaded down her back, was gathered into a practical, albeit a bit sloppy, bun atop her head. Cedric furrowed his brow, trying to discern the purpose for her curious appearance.

"What about?" Sofia, not missing a beat, chirped in a tone far too chipper for so early in the day as she breezed past him into the tower.

"What…? Oh", Cedric brushed off the question with a dismissive wave of his gloved hand, closing the door and trailing her inside the workshop. "Why are you dressed like that?" he asked, clearing his throat when he noticed his voice was still thick with sleep.

"You said we would begin training first thing in the morning", she reminded him, and Cedric could vaguely remember saying something along those lines. "I thought a gown might prove too cumbersome." As she explained, she twirled for his inspection, stopping once she was facing him again and flashing a bright smile. Cedric absorbed her explanation, reluctantly accepting that his 'dream' had been real.

"Y-yes, of course… training", he stammered, wondering how he should begin preparing his Slayer for this new reality that had been thrust upon her with no warning whatsoever. His Slayer. Now there was an odd notion, one that managed to be simultaneously comforting and unsettling in equal parts. His gaze swept over her once again as he tried to acclimate himself to the idea. "That outfit will do, I suppose, though it won't be necessary as of yet." He turned, gesturing for her to follow him into the library. "You and I appear to have vastly different ideas of what constitutes first thing in the morning", Cedric called over his shoulder as he passed through the curtained doorway, pausing to hold the fabric aside so she could join him.

Drawing his wand from his pocket, he used the tool to light the logs in his fireplace, the wood hissing and crackling in protest of the sudden heat. Then, he located a fairly neglected volume near the top of one of the many overcrowded bookshelves and magically floated the heavy black leather tome down to Sofia's awaiting palms.

"Vampyr", Sofia read the title aloud, a hint of disbelief in her tone, as she gingerly traced the ornate gold-leafed letters on the cover.

"It's a sort of, uh… guidebook for new Slayers. Don't let the title fool you, it also contains a wealth of information on alternate worlds, other demonic breeds, and the laws of magic in general." He shrugged, enjoying the way her eyes sparkled at the mention of 'magic', a topic that had never failed to intrigue her.

"So we're starting with homework?" Sofia giggled at her own joke, opening to the first page while absently flopping down onto his ageing sofa — a piece of furniture much too large for the space but far too comfortable to part with.

"Would you prefer a quiz?" Cedric teased, claiming the spot beside her.

"No, thank you. I'd rather not have that sort of pressure on my first day", Sofia answered, tittering as she scanned the index.

"You mean your second day", Cedric corrected, glancing over her shoulder as she began studying the first full page of text.

"Was that truly a vampire last night? He looked so, well... ordinary at first." She pondered the bizarre confrontation, settling in against him.

Cedric nodded solemnly. "That's their trick. The other demons appear as they are: monstrous. A vampire, on the other hand, is only half demon, allowing them to mask their true form until they're ready to feed on their victim", Cedric explained, reaching across her to thumb a few pages past the one they were currently on, halting when he recognised the illustrations of vampires in their alternate state.

They skimmed over the entry together, with Sofia asking more questions as they read. When they came to the end she glanced up at him hesitantly, her azure eyes clouded with an unreadable emotion. "Do they… is there a part about me in here? Am I…"

Cedric frowned down at her, unsure of what, exactly, she was trying to put into words. "Are you what?" he pressed after waiting so long for her to finish that he became certain that she wouldn't.

"Am I some sort of demon?" she whispered fearfully.

Cedric chuckled, reaching around her to rub comforting circles against her upper arm. "Sofia, in the very long list of words that describe you, 'demonic' is entirely absent", he reassured her as best he could, but she didn't seem convinced, so he paged through to another section of the book, perhaps the most important one of all. "Into every generation, a Slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will yield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer", Cedric read the passage out loud, though truthfully he didn't even need the book. His father had given him the speech so many times when he was a child that he would wager he could easily recite it in his sleep.

"But you said many girls are born with the mark", Sofia pointed out, invoking his words from the prior evening.

"Yes, thousands at a time. Most will live their whole lives without becoming a Slayer", Cedric replied, flicking her lightly on the forehead. "Don't go over-thinking it, this is merely a summary. It would take an entire library full of books and an insane amount of research to truly define all that a Slayer is." There was much more she needed to learn from the book before they went hunting for the first time, but he could tell that Sofia wasn't ready to move on, so he waited.

"So if I was- Does that mean tomorrow some other girl could be chosen and I would simply go back to normal?" she queried, her tone brimming with hope.

Cedric sighed. He'd been dreading this inevitable question ever since he discovered her birthmark. "A new Slayer is called only when the previous one dies", he admitted quietly, trying to avoid letting on about how frequently this occurred.

"Oh." Growing silent, Sofia returned her attention to the page in front of them.

Cedric wished he knew anything he could say to soften the blow but nothing came to mind.

"If something happens to me, would you be the next girl's Watcher?" she questioned after a few minutes. Cedric shook his head.

"No. You are my only Slayer. Should you…" Cedric threw his hands up in aggravation, unable to say it. He hated this. The very thought of holding a calm, rational conversation about the death of his best friend disturbed him beyond words. "I'll have fulfilled my own destiny."

Sofia adjusted herself to face him as he spoke. "How often do–"

He couldn't stand to dwell on the morbid subject any longer. Besides, he had already decided that he would let no harm befall the girl. "I won't let anything happen to you. Do you understand me?" He reached out a hand to cup her cheek, firmly locking eyes with her and mentally pleading with her to stop asking questions he couldn't bear to burden her with the answers to. "We're in this together."

…

"What would it have been like, I wonder…" Sofia pondered as she sat down for a well-earned lunch break.

"What's that?" Cedric asked distractedly, placing two plates of food on the table. He didn't miss the way Sofia's nose wrinkled at the sight of the cuts of beef on his plate and he had the decency to smile apologetically as he set down the meatless salad that he'd prepared knowing she would require an alternative. He sat down opposite her, taking a sip of his tea and watching with amusement as she tucked in far more hastily than would probably go uncorrected in the royal dining room.

Something he had learnt during the years of friendship with the youngest princess was that he found it incredibly charming when she forgot herself inside the safe haven of his tower, where there was no one around to insist she conduct herself properly at all times. Of all the facets that comprised Sofia, he quite favoured the carefree village girl that occasionally surfaced when her guard was down, and he imagined that perhaps this was what had endeared her to him all those years ago, despite the venomous contempt he held for nobility at the time of her arrival.

"If I was discovered as a baby", she supplied between bites, disrupting his quiet observation.

He set his cup down beside his plate, trying to picture the way things might have been. "Well, you would have come to live here with me. Sometime within your first few years, I believe. We would have begun your training immediately: reading the handbook, handling weapons, teaching you how to fight. Things of that nature", he explained with a slight shrug, though now he was also curious about how things may have been different.

If he'd met Sofia four or five years earlier, would it have made a drastic impact on his life? Would being raised by a man who had already turned his back on the world have made her a different person altogether? Questions that were fascinating but ultimately impossible to answer.

"How funny that I ended up here anyhow", she mused.

The reason behind that, Cedric understood perfectly well.

"As a Slayer, you'll learn destiny has a great deal to do with most things. In time, you will come to strongly believe in prophesies, premonition, and your own intuition", Cedric informed her, taking a forkful of his own food.

"So, you're saying…?" she trailed off, clearly struggling to put something into words that wouldn't cooperate.

"I'm saying that you were always meant to be my Slayer", he finished for her. "When the Council failed to deliver you, fate stepped in to fill the void. Had I not been so blinded by my own foolhardy ambitions, I might have recognised that and we wouldn't be stuck playing catch up now", Cedric grumbled, scowling at himself for being so short-sighted over the years. After all, he'd been expecting a Slayer and she was right under his nose, often literally, the entire time.

"Your father was just as surprised as you were", Sofia offered, ever the master at the delicate art of sensing when his thoughts were dragging him down, along with saying exactly what was needed to guide him back into the light.

"As amusing as that thought is, all it proves is that we were both fools", Cedric countered, though he did feel a little better knowing Goodwyn had overlooked her, too. "You're athletic, strong for your size, you've always had a keen insight about people. The signs were all there." Cedric scratched at the back of his neck in irritation.

"Are those traits commonly found in Slayers?" Sofia asked, setting her fork aside to take a sip of her jasmine tea, a flavour Cedric stocked solely for her benefit.

"Amongst others. Most notably accelerated healing… speaking of which, how is your injury?" Cedric peered over at her as he remembered to ask how she was faring. "Do you need me to have another look at it?"

Ever since he was a young boy, he'd been taught that a Slayer was little more than a tool to be utilised in the eternal battle between good and evil. A weapon. Only now, with Sofia as his Slayer, did he understand how appalling the concept was, to view these remarkable girls as one would a sword or wand - handy but easy to replace once broken. No, he would continue to view Sofia as a person first and foremost, no matter how that may complicate things to come. Distancing himself from her wasn't really an option now, if it ever had been to begin with.

Sofia leaned across the table and clasped his hand in her own, smiling warmly at him as her thumb traced across his palm. "It's much better, all thanks to you. I suppose I'll have to be more careful from now–" Her response ended abruptly, her attention shifting to a point behind his shoulder as the smile melted away.

Cedric craned his neck to follow her distracted gaze.

"Hello Cedric. Princess Sofia." Goodwyn nodded at the pair as he greeted them.

How long had he been standing there?

"The Princess and I were just beginning her training", Cedric blurted out, though he knew the excuse was paltry when paired with the sight of them sitting down for lunch, both leaning halfway across the table to maintain an intimate discussion that died the instant his father's presence was detected.

Sofia must have picked up on Cedric's discomfort, because she broke the contact to retract her hand, using it to reclaim her fork and take another bite of her salad, her eyes discreetly travelling back and forth between the two men.

"So I see. Cedric, I was hoping to speak to you. Privately. I could come back, if now isn't a good time." His father's demeanour was even more serious than usual, but Cedric was tempted to accept his offer to leave.

Sofia spoke up before he could ask the older man to return some other time. "Oh, no. Minumus! I completely forgot in all the chaos last night. I should head back to Royal Prep and tend to him." She busied herself with clearing the table, avoiding Cedric's eye the way she had a tendency to do when she was being less than completely honest.

Her horse would be fine at the stable for the day, and they both knew it.

"Sofia, you don't have to–" Cedric began to protest, but she shook her head at him.

"No, I really should go. I meant to bring him home last night, but with all the excitement… I should go", she repeated herself, walking her dishes to the counter.

Cedric collected his own and followed after her. "I'll see you tonight?" Cedric enquired, lowering his voice so only Sofia could hear him. "To hunt vampires, that is", he added when she hesitated to answer.

"Right. O– of course. That is my job now, I suppose", Sofia agreed, turning to look up at him.

Cedric wanted to say more, but Goodwyn cleared his throat, interrupting them again.

Sofia whispered 'Goodbye' before hurrying out of the tower, leaving the two men to stand in awkward silence.

"You had something you wished to discuss", Cedric prodded when he gave up on waiting for Goodwyn to explain why he was there.

"Yes, that is- I think you should go to the Council and explain to them that you cannot be Sofia's watcher", Goodwyn insisted, staring intently at his son.

Cedric floundered for a response, scarcely able to believe his ears. "My whole life, I've railed against this. You've been telling me since I was ten years old that I had no choice but to become a Watcher. Now I'm doing what you've always wanted from me and you would have me stop", Cedric fumed, a bitter chuckle escaping as he passed his father to head back into the study, hoping to put some much needed distance between them so he could calm down.

"You're far too close to your Slayer. Have you even thought about that?" Goodwyn persisted, shadowing him to the next room. "It isn't a Watcher's place to be their friend. She is to fight evil and you are meant to–"

Cedric already knew perfectly well what his role was supposed to be, so he saw no reason to let the older man finish the sentence. "To watch? To sit idly by while Sofia puts herself in danger over and over again. When she…" A lump rose in his throat, refusing to allow the last word to pass.

"That sort of reaction is precisely what I'm talking about", Goodwyn admonished him. "A Watcher is a guide. You need to prepare the girl and nothing more than that. You are to train her, to advise her, to research threats when the situation calls for it. You have no business being out there by her side whilst she is fighting", Goodwyn blathered on, refusing to let the matter drop until Cedric conceded.

"You sent me out there!" he spat, spinning to face Goodwyn again. "And regardless of your opinion on the matter, I have no intention of abandoning Sofia", Cedric shut him down firmly, hoping this would finally be the end of the discussion.

"If you won't tell the Council that you are too involved, then I will", Goodwyn warned, producing his wand and disappearing in a cloud of smoke before anything more could be said.

 _Typical. You always have to get the last word in._ Cedric collapsed onto the sofa in frustration, letting out an annoyed groan.

* * *

 **5.10.18:** Fixed typos and grammatical errors.

 **1.9.18 Author's Note:** Notable changes for this chapter include fixing an error where Sofia's jacket was mentioned despite an earlier description saying she wasn't wearing it. The first draft of the chapter had a large chunk of Cedric's quiet thoughts on Sofia which was cut before publishing, because they were too romantic in nature. This version has him thinking about their relationship again, but reads more like admiration, which was my original intention.

 **Original Author's Note:** Confession time. I HATE chapters with a lot of questions in them, so writing this was torture. That said, Sofia, being new to all this, would have a million questions, and also any readers not familiar with the show it's (very) loosely based on would need to have an idea of what's going on, so I managed to struggle my way through it. Anyway, that's why it took so long and the next chapter should be out faster as long as my muse plays nice.


	3. Crosses

**Birthright**

 **Chapter 3:** Crosses

* * *

Sofia was dying to know what Goodwyn wanted to discuss so urgently and why he felt it necessary to exclude her when he had never treated her as anything less than family in all the time she'd known the man. It was likely not the sort of thing Cedric would care to recount later, so she decided she wouldn't press him for details when she next saw him. Still, an endless supply of questions plagued her as she muddled through the rest of her afternoon — not just about the matter she hadn't been privy to, but also her new role as a Slayer and all that it entailed. Cedric had satisfied her to a degree, but there were things he was clearly attempting to shield her from and, while she appreciated his motives, she disliked the idea of going into this potentially dangerous new chapter of her life without being armed with as much information as possible.

It was with all of this weighing heavily on her mind that she sat pushing her food around on her dinner plate, completely unaware of the chatter going on around her or, more importantly, that it had ceased abruptly and all eyes were now fixed on her.

"Sofia!" Amber hissed under her breath, discretely nudging the younger girl's leg with the pointed toe of an expensive shoe.

Suppressing a sigh, Sofia turned her attention back to the present just in time to see her sister nod softly in the direction of their parents. "What?" was all she could come up with for a response, since she hadn't been following the thread of their conversation in the least. Her eyes travelled from the blond beside her to the faces of her other family members, only to be met with expressions of concern from all present.

"Sofia, sweetheart… you've barely said a word all day and you haven't touched your food, yet. Are you feeling alright?" Roland asked, examining her for some sign that she was unwell.

She had to laugh inwardly, the only person at the table aware that she now possessed a supernaturally robust immune system. At least, according to the handbook. She considered playing along. it would give her a chance to be excused early, after all. It dawned on her that if the entire palace believed her to be unwell, Baileywick — bless his heart — would be at her door every half an hour to check up on her, making it impossible to go out… _vampire hunting._

She could barely think of it with a straight face, the ludicrous notion that among her other duties she would now be expected to steal away from the castle in the dead of night to fend off the legions of a demonic underworld that no one else believed to exist. Less than twenty-four hours ago, she could be counted amongst the sane, logical people who believed the monsters to be nothing more than the stuff of childish nightmares and idle village gossip, and now it was her sacred duty to spend the hours when everyone else was sleeping soundly in their beds finding and killing these fiends before they could cause any harm.

"I'm fine." It was a lie, of course. She was the exact opposite of 'fine'. "I just had a late snack and my appetite hasn't returned yet", she supplied, forcing the warmest smile she could muster.

To her relief this farce apparently appeased her family and everyone quickly returned to the previous topic, which she soon learnt was Amber's upcoming engagement ball. _Speaking of being trapped in a life you didn't choose…_ Beneath the table, Sofia reached over and squeezed her sister's hand sympathetically. Alongside her new obligations, she would have to make some time to ferry the future Queen back to the Mystic Isles, if only so Amber and Harumph could say their goodbyes properly.

Sofia participated enough to avoid further suspicion and took the next natural lull as an opportunity to make her escape, with the permission of her parents. Careful to maintain appearances, she went to her chambers first, pointedly exchanging polite greetings with each servant she met on the way in order to establish a strong alibi.

Once alone in her bedroom, she shoved all doubt aside and stripped down, stopping only briefly to admit to herself what a relief it was to be rid of the bulky gown and all of her various trappings before tugging on her far more comfortable riding clothes for the second time that day. Content that she was as ready as she would ever be for what lay ahead, she hurried down the hall, this time taking pains not to be seen, and up the stone stairs to the Royal Sorcerer's tower.

The old, patinated gargoyles that she usually imagined were greeting her genially appeared to be warning her away instead, and she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself before she rose her trembling hand to rap on Cedric's door. Her knuckles didn't have a chance to make contact with the wooden surface before Cedric flung the door open and peered out, the frantic expression plastered across his handsome face replaced instantly with deep relief at the sight of her.

"Ah, there you are! What the devil took you so long?" he questioned, grabbing her arm and practically dragging her into the workshop.

"I couldn't leave dinner too early without anyone wondering why and then I had to change", she explained, leaving out the part about how increasingly frazzled her nerves were becoming at the prospect of facing one of those things again.

"That's true. It's extremely important that your identity remains a secret, even from those closest to you", Cedric replied, leading her to the table.

On top, an array or weapons, some familiar and others less so, were laid out for her selection.

"Take only what you trust yourself to handle. Being face to face with a vampire is no time to learn a new weapon", Cedric instructed, watching as Sofia ran her fingers along the tiller of a large crossbow. "Do you know how to use that?"

"I've only shot a regular bow", she informed him, shaking her head.

"Damn. It's a rather good skill to have. Or, so I'm told… Never did get the hang of the thing."

Though Sofia felt inexplicably drawn to it, she heeded Cedric's warning and selected a composite bow, which either he'd strung in advance or wasn't aware it should be kept unstrung between uses, and slid it into an available bow case which she attached to a quiver. She peeked up as she fastened the straps around herself, and couldn't help the swell of pride that came from seeing how her knowledge, gained years ago from her visits with Carol of the Arrow, clearly impressed Cedric.

The exchange passed wordlessly between them, ending abruptly when Cedric turned back to the table and began stuffing several smaller items into the pockets of his robe, the coal-coloured one, she noticed in passing, then paused to study Sofia, tapping his chin in thought.

"Let's see now, I know there was something else. What was it?" he pondered aloud, though the playful lilt in his tone, paired with the mischievous glint in his amber eyes, gave her every reason to believe that he hadn't really forgotten whatever he was referring to.

He grinned at her, then raced from the room. Sofia used the minutes he was absent to collect a few of the long wooden weapons she'd used to finish off the previous night's opponent. When he returned, he presented her with a long rectangular box covered in deep red velvet. Sofia examined it curiously as he fumbled with the clasp, ignoring the temptation to reach over and open it herself, as he was obviously excited and she didn't want to ruin anything for him.

The container opened, revealing a length of black ribbon with a metal clasp on each end. An ornate cross was affixed to the centre, and the whole thing lay neatly on a bed of shining white satin. Sofia met his gaze as he lifted the choker and brought it to her throat, his slender, agile fingers deftly fastening the ends together behind her neck.

"What's this for?" she whispered, almost afraid that speaking would shatter the palpable intimacy of the moment.

"For your protection, of course. They react to crosses, remember?" Cedric pointed out, lightly flicking the symbol she now wore for emphasis.

Sofia did remember, it had said so in the guidebook, but it felt odd to wear the token of a religion she didn't follow so prominently. "Thank you."

It occurred to her to wonder if the band was waiting for whichever Slayer he happened to be assigned or if Cedric had selected it specifically with her in mind, but she ultimately chose not to ask him as she wasn't entirely certain she wished to know the answer. Before she had too much time to dwell on the origin of the gift, Cedric was urging her to hurry towards the seldom used back entrance of the tower.

"So, where exactly are we headed?" Sofia enquired as they made their way outside.

Her companion simply shook his head and they remained silent until they were well outside the boundaries of the palace grounds.

"We're going to the cemetery", Cedric finally explained as they stepped off the wide bridge to Dunwiddie. "Freshly turned vampires are easier to fight. They don't quite have the hang of their powers yet, and most have no idea what's happened to them. It's the perfect place to hone your skills."

They marched briskly through the near empty cobblestone roads of the village, the stillness of the late evening interrupted only by the occasional revelry spilling out of taverns littered here and there, their lights and cheerful ambiance beacons of safe haven defying the foreboding darkness of the night.

Sofia allowed herself a quick daydream that she and Cedric were just a couple of friends on their way to make merry at such a place, her with a hot cider and he with the whiskey she'd seen him drink before on special occasions. Perhaps they'd curl up in an otherwise deserted corner and trade stories of past adventures the other had already heard a dozen times before but never minded listening to again, or lose track of the hour while talking about potions and spells.

The fantasy came to an end as they approached the outskirts of the village and the cast iron fences and marble mausoleums of the graveyard came into view, and Sofia worried her lip as reality set back in, closing the distance between herself and her mentor — _Watcher_ , her brain corrected, though she still wasn't entirely certain what the role entailed — for the added reassurance his nearness always brought her.

"Do you feel anything?" Cedric questioned, brushing a hand against the small of her back as they skirted cautiously through the large metal gates and onto the dirt paths that cut their way between the headstones and statues that marked the individual plots of villagers laid to rest in these hallowed grounds

Her father was here, somewhere, though she couldn't recall the exact location of his grave.

"Nauseous. And a bit clammy", Sofia answered honestly, causing Cedric to stop and look her over carefully.

"There's no need to be worried, Sofia. Remember, you were born for this." She managed a smile and a quick nod, though his words of encouragement did little to subdue the frenzied pounding of her heart against her breast, or slow her racing pulse which sent rushes of blood thrumming through her ears.

 _They drink blood_ , she reminded herself with a shudder.

"I meant can you sense any demons nearby. Slayer intuition and all that", Cedric added as they entered a section of new plots, recently dug earth filling the damp, cool air with a pungent, somewhat pleasant aroma.

Sofia did her best to calm herself, reaching out with her mind in search of the sensations she'd felt when encountering the man — _vampire_ — at Royal Prep. Her flesh chilled and goose-pimpled, the tiny wisps of hair on the back of her neck bristled, and every one of her senses attuned together, mysteriously heightened to a point she'd never before experienced, like a cat able to predict an oncoming storm. She swallowed thickly, her speed dwindling to just above a full stop so she could process the flow of innate perceptions being fed directly to her brain.

"I– I think so. Over that way", she answered, pointing further down through the row of graves.

They continued in the direction her instincts indicated, Sofia growing more sure in her assessment with each step. They passed a stone that sent her spiralling into overdrive and she reached out and placed a hand on Cedric's arm, stilling the man.

"Is this it?" His eyes flashed at her in the moonlight before he turned to read the engraving on the headstone. "Benjamin Goode. Ironic, innit?" he mused softly.

"What do we do now?" Sofia breathed, staring at the grave in front of them.

Cedric spun and gestured to a pair of raised headstones across the path. "Now, we wait", came his casual response, and he left her side to claim a seat on one of the markers, patting the other one in case she hadn't understood that she was meant to sit down and somehow relax until Benjamin made his appearance.

Sofia crossed to stop in front of the stone meant for her, running her hand over it reverently and welcoming the feel of cold, grey marble beneath her heated palm.

"You might as well sit. No telling how long this will take."

She perched herself on top, keeping a watchful eye trained on Benjamin's grave. Beside her, Cedric produced his wand, twirling it idly between his nimble fingers the way he tended to when he was apprehensive.

"I thought there was nothing to worry about", Sofia commented.

Cedric missed a beat and the wand dropped to the ground below him. "Who's worried?" he demanded, leaning down to brush his hands through the grass until he retrieved the magical tool. "I'm merely impatient to meet our new friend here."

"How long do you think we'll have to wai– " Sofia didn't have a chance to finish, because the dirt mound across from them began to shift as if Benjamin had been waiting for his cue to rise.

On the edge of her peripheral vision, Sofia caught Cedric trading his wand for a sharpened stake and she made a mental note to find out later why magic was ineffective against the undead creature currently clawing his way to the surface. For the time being, she readied her bow, hoping to end the encounter before it could turn into an all out battle like the last one. All she had to do was keep steady and aim.

Apparently, Benjamin had been a young man with shaggy dishwater blond hair, as that was the first thing Sofia saw as she drew in a breath and pulled her bowstring back, lining it up with the corner of her mouth. Wait for the heart. Next came a boyish face with penetrating steel grey eyes, a charming upturned nose, and a strong jaw. The utter normalcy of his appearance disarmed her and she exhaled her held breath.

"Sofia, shoot!" Cedric's command shocked her into action and she let loose her arrow as Benjamin lunged forward, hitting him in the shoulder.

"Damn", she muttered, throwing the bow to the ground and withdrawing her own stake.

The vampire, perhaps deterred by her shot, took off down the path. Sofia chased after him at a speed she hadn't known herself to be capable of. Cedric was right. The fledgling vampire lacked the capacities of the last one and it didn't take long before she caught him, tackling him from behind like he was a dazzleball opponent.

The two of them tumbled to the ground roughly, and Sofia's shoulder struck hard against the black base of a looming angel statue, but she was so focused on her target that she barely registered the pain before she raised the pointed weapon into the air above her head, ready to drive it into the monster's heart. She had underestimated Benjamin's strength, though, and he threw her off of him. As she struggled to her feet he pounced on her, knocking her back onto the ground. Gripping her wrist, he tried to turn her own stake against her.

"Cedric!" she screamed, using all her might to maintain the few centimetres between her weapon and her chest.

She kicked wildly, doing all she could to struggle out from underneath the vampire's weight. The sound of heavy footfall would have caught her attention, if it weren't a matter of life and death to keep her eyes trained on the hand firmly ensnaring her wrist. Above them, Cedric blinked into and out of sight, appearing only long enough to ram into Benjamin before vanishing again. Sofia capitalised on this stroke of luck, kicking the stunned man off and leaping to her feet. Benjamin recovered just as quickly, fleeing down a path that led further into the graveyard. Sofia began to pursue him until she heard the strangled, mournful cry of her name. _Cedric._

...

Cedric raced towards Sofia and Benjamin, horrified by the sight of his best friend about to be done in by her own stake. He made a run at the vampire, attempting to dislodge him from his position on top of Sofia. Just as he struck against him, a pair of strong hands grabbed him from behind and dragged him backwards, flipping him onto the ground.

To his left, Cedric could hear the continuing sounds of Sofia's battle, which he found oddly reassuring now that he couldn't see what was happening. He drew back his fist and attempted to punch the vampire on top of him, but couldn't get any leverage in his current position. The fiend flashed him a wide, toothy grin as his face transformed to reveal his true, demonic visage. _The feed._ Cedric fought to reach one of the weapons in his robe, but halted suddenly, his will to fight back draining as he realised he could no longer hear any sign of his charge.

"Sofia–" The choked cry was his, but he was barely aware that he'd spoken. _I failed you._

The vampire leaned in, and time ceased as he ignored his oncoming fate in favour of listening for any sign of Sofia.

Sharp fangs just grazed his flesh when the monster above him decayed into dust. Sofia, looking every bit like an angel of mercy, reached her hand through the grey haze. Cedric accepted the gesture, letting her help him to his feet.

"Benjamin?" he croaked out, rubbing a spot on the back of his neck that ached from his fall.

Sofia shook her head. "He escaped", came her short reply, accompanied by a quick glance in the opposite direction.

"What? Why didn't you chase after him?"

The question earned a scoff and an incredulous glare from Sofia, who busied herself with brushing the dirt off of his robe. "You were two seconds away from being dinner. Why do you think I didn't chase him?" she demanded, retracting her hands to rest them squarely on her hips. "We're in this together, remember?"

"That's not… entirely what I meant when I said that." He sighed, deciding that they'd both had more than enough excitement for one night. "I suppose we can always find him tomorrow."

Without warning, Sofia closed the narrow gap between them to wrap her arms around his neck. "I thought I was going to lose you", she confessed with a sniffle, prompting Cedric to return the embrace.

"I'm not that easy to get rid of, dearest." Cedric's poor shot at humour was rewarded by a tight squeeze from Sofia.

"I see why Goodwyn was concerned", a voice, decidedly female, spoke from behind them.

* * *

 **5.10.18:** Updated for typos and grammatical errors.

 **3.9.18 Author's Note:** Action sequences are still hard. I managed to elaborate, though, and rework the switch to Cedric's POV so it's less sudden and we see what was happening with Sofia while he was fighting. Other than that, there are no major changes to this chapter, but there is some added content in the form of Sofia's thoughts.

 **Original Author's Note:** Reminder to self... Action sequences are hard to write. Hopefully this is passable. I'm not really complaining, it was fun, just difficult. The last few paragraphs accounted for like 90% of the time this chapter took to finish.


	4. Interference

**Birthright**

 **Chapter 4:** Interference

* * *

"I can see why Goodwyn was concerned."

Cedric hastily put some distance between himself and Sofia while turning his attention to the unfamiliar voice.

"And you are?" he drawled, though he had the sinking suspicion that he already knew exactly what the woman had come for and why.

Sofia, clearly still in fight or flight mode, and understandably so, planted herself between Cedric and the stranger, raising her stake defensively until Cedric patted her on the shoulder, reassuring the girl despite his own raw nerves.

"I am Emily Pratt, a representative of the Council. I've come to review a conduct complaint by a former Watcher", she introduced herself, pushing her glasses up higher on the bridge of her nose as she regarded the pair. Her steely gaze settled on Sofia first. "Care to tell me why the vampire you were fighting is now running free amongst the general population?" Emily interrogated, her eyes piercing straight into Sofia.

"I… there were…" Sofia floundered for an explanation, and Cedric squeezed her shoulder lightly.

"I can answer that. It was her first time fighting more than one vampire at a time. I'd say she did rather well, considering she received no formal training before this morning." Cedric's voice was strong and defiant, practically daring the councilwoman to argue the point, and Sofia was taken aback by this unusual display of brash confidence from her usually reserved friend.

"Besides, my Watcher was in danger", Sofia added, unable to see Cedric grimace from where she stood.

"Which brings me to my next question", Emily stated, pointedly shifting her eyes from Sofia to Cedric. "What exactly were you doing out here fighting vampires like some sort of rogue vigilante?"

There was no good answer for that and Cedric knew it. He was also aware that remaining silent would garner him no extra favour with the woman, so he decided that even a bad response was better than none at all. "I was protecting my Slayer."

Sofia reached up to touch his hand in a show of appreciation, but he discreetly tugged it away.

"Watchers are trained in combat for the sole purpose of passing that knowledge on to their charges, not so they can go out hunting demons themselves. Your blatant disregard of the Council's rules endangered not only yourself, but also your Slayer and the entire population of this village", Emily persisted.

"Did you miss the part where I would have died had he not distracted Benjamin?" Sofia blurted out incredulously.

Emily remained unfazed, and Cedric knew why this information did nothing to sway her perception of the incident. Slayers perished all the time, particularly inexperienced ones. To the Council this was no more than a slight nuisance, a basic fact of life. A Slayer's death was like the rising and setting of the sun, expected and unremarkable. In the ancient battle between the forces of good and evil, the ever increasing body count of these girls meant less than nothing. _And I was no better than them_ , he lamented his previous stance on the matter. His blood boiled, and he could feel the tick in his jaw, but he held his tongue because it was in Sofia's best interest not to be reassigned to a more 'proper' Watcher, one who shared and upheld the Council's views.

"That is not my concern, Miss Balthazaar", Emily replied, readjusting her glasses again.

"What is your 'concern', then?" Sofia demanded petulantly before turning her back on the Councilwoman to speak to Cedric. "What is this all about?" she asked him, her tone softer now that she was addressing her long time friend.

"Be still", Cedric hissed.

"You'd be wise to listen to your Watcher. I've already decided to be lenient, and I doubt you wish to change my mind", Emily informed Sofia. "Cedric, you will receive a formal reprimand and be placed under probationary measures, effective immediately."

Sofia gasped, her eyes flying wide as she spun on her heels to face the older woman again. "Is that what passes for leniency with the Council? That's the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard in my life! I–" She never got a chance to finish her protests, though.

"Enough, Sofia!" Cedric growled out, promising himself that he would apologise profusely for snapping at her the next time they were alone.

"Take your Slayer back to the palace, train her properly, and do not let me catch you engaging in combat again or you will be removed from your post immediately", Emily instructed Cedric sternly, and he nodded. "I expect you both to conduct yourselves properly from now on."

She didn't mention the other reason for Goodwyn's concern, though Cedric was sure his father had brought it up in his complaint. At any rate, he didn't need to hear it to know that their relationship, too, would be a factor in his probation, and he was actually thankful to her for not addressing it in front of Sofia because he had the distinct impression that there would be no holding her back if she learnt that their affection for one another was what brought Emily here in the first place.

Finally grasping the gravity of the situation, Sofia snapped her mouth shut and simply stared as Emily took her leave, walking back down the path that led out of the cemetery. Cedric waited until she was out of sight to nudge Sofia, rousing her from her daze.

"Does she mean all of that? Can she really arrange it so you're not my Watcher anymore?" Sofia enquired.

Cedric nodded solemnly. "She does and she can. But let's not discuss it here", he whispered, worried that they may still be under the watch of the Council, even though they appeared to be alone. Producing his wand, he transported them back to his workshop, the only place he could trust that they wouldn't be overheard.

"You said it was all about fate!" Sofia spat out, directing her rage at him because there was nowhere else to aim it. "If that's true, then how can some– some… Emily just step in and decide that the universe chose wrong?"

"The Council has to do what they deem best", Cedric muttered the only answer he had, though he wasn't much in the mood to toe the mark at the moment.

Frankly, he'd prefer to indulge in her righteous fury. To hunt down Emily Pratt and give her the piece of his mind he'd carefully withheld during their meeting. But if they were going to get through this unscathed then one of them had to keep a level head, and from the looks of things it was not going to be Sofia any time soon.

"Best for who? For me?" Sofia questioned, pacing the floor.

"No", Cedric answered plainly.

Sofia's mouth formed into a small 'o' as understanding washed over her.

"Truth be told, the Council cares very little about what's best for you. If something happened there'd be another girl chosen, and another one after that", he admitted the truth he'd been trying so hard to shield her from.

"What about you?" She stopped close to him, her sapphire eyes searching his face, imploring him for something, though he wasn't sure what.

"You mean do they care about me? Maybe slightly more, but not much." Cedric shrugged. "I imagine my training was expensive, at any rate."

"No, not that." Sofia waved a dismissive hand between them, no longer interested in who or what the Council deemed important. "Do you think me… disposable?" she hiccoughed the last word, and Cedric grasped one of her hands, bringing her closer to him.

"Of course I don't. I already told you I won't let anything happen to you", he whispered, wrapping his arms around her. "You are my favourite person, Sofia."

"I'm going back out", she informed him, pulling out of his embrace.

"What?" Cedric furrowed his brow as he looked her over. "Why would you–"

"I'm going to find Benjamin and prove to the Council that I can do my job. That my Watcher… That you are exactly who I need beside me if I'm to do what they expect from me." Sofia was pacing again, her features set in determination, and Cedric was growing concerned.

"It's late and you're upset. What you need to do is go get some sleep", he told her firmly.

Sofia shook her head, hurrying to the back entrance.

"Sofia, I forbid you from going back out there!"

Her hand already on the brass handle, she paused and craned her neck to glance back at him. Cedric swallowed hard. He'd never spoken to her in such a way but he absolutely had to make her see reason.

"I'm sorry", she breathed, swinging the door open and disappearing through it.

Cedric stared at the door in aggravation as it swung shut behind her. He should follow her. The girl wasn't trained nearly enough to go wandering alone at night hunting vampires, nor was she in the proper state of mind to do so safely. To go after her could easily be seen as a violation of his probation though, and could result in his removal as her Watcher. Why hadn't she just listened to him for once in her life? Running a hand through his silvery bangs, he groaned in frustration as he continued his internal debate.

He hadn't known. In twenty-seven years, he never once stopped to consider that the Slayers were people, little girls with family and friends who adored them beyond belief. That when they selflessly left home to go out hunting monsters, waiting up for them were others who worried themselves sick because a loved one — perhaps the centre of their entire universe — was out doing gods-know-what at all hours. He never wondered about the utter devastation that descended upon the lives of those closest to a Slayer on the inevitable night when she didn't come home and never would again. Standing there in his tower with nothing but the deafening pounding of his heart to keep him company, he finally understood everything the Council refused to acknowledge. He hadn't known, hadn't cared to know, because it was so, so much easier not to.

...

For the second time that night, Sofia found herself standing at the entrance to the Dunwiddie cemetery. The large iron gates loomed ominously before her, demanding that she make a decision — push her way through and do what she came for or turn tail and flee, returning to Cedric's tower to beg his forgiveness for her impudence and admit she hadn't the courage to face a lone fledgling vampire without him. Considering the consequences they would both face if Cedric was caught helping her fight vampires again, the answer was painfully obvious. She'd have to apologise for making him worry about her, at any rate, but that would go much smoother when she returned a victorious Slayer and not a snivelling little girl. Gathering her nerve, she opened the gate and skirted quietly through.

When Benjamin fled their encounter earlier, he headed not out of the cemetery but deeper inside, and Sofia's instinct told her that he was still somewhere on the grounds. Though she wished Cedric was with her, she was glad in some small way that she needn't worry about him being harmed this time, freeing all of her focus for the battle to come.

Tuning in to the preternatural senses that led her to Benjamin's grave in the first place, she wandered the paths into the oldest parts of the graveyard, beyond crumbling stone and untended overgrowth, until she came to a halt in front of an enormous mausoleum, practically ancient when compared to the polished marble structures nearer to the gates. The doors were covered by ivy at some point but it was clear that the vines had been disturbed recently, and she was certain the vampire had torn them away to gain entrance to the building.

Drawing in a deep breath, she swung open one of the heavy doors and took a few hesitant steps inside. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness within, and it dawned on her that she'd made a terrible mistake.

Not one, but three vampires were gathered inside; Benjamin, another man, and a beautiful young woman who must've been scarcely be older than Sofia herself. All of them leered at her as she stood there, her mind screaming at her to flee as fast as possible.

"I… I'm sorry, I was looking for the wash room", Sofia blurted out the first lie that crossed her mind, scooting backwards towards the entrance.

Behind her, the door slammed shut and a pair of hands with grotesque yellowed nails sharpened into talons gripped her shoulders.

"That's her. The girl I was telling you about", Benjamin informed the others, pointing in Sofia's direction.

"Oh, this is no ordinary girl", Talon man drawled out, the metallic stench of his breath rising to offend Sofia's nostrils as he leaned in and took a long whiff of her hair. Or perhaps her throat. "This is a Slayer", he finished the assessment with a flourish, and Sofia willed herself not to tremble beneath his icy grip as his nails dug into her tender flesh. Though she considered herself a fairly brave girl, she was finding it inexplicably difficult to think, let alone attempt to break away, for the terror that the creature at her back inspired. "A pretty one, too."

"Let me have her, Sire", the female hissed out, advancing in their direction.

She didn't walk so much as glide effortlessly across the stone floor, leaving Sofia to question how she could possibly outrun the nimble woman if need be. The man behind Sofia chuckled darkly and one of his hands raised from her shoulder to wrap weathered fingers around her neck. Sofia swallowed hard, cringing at his touch, but as he closed his fist around her throat smoke began to rise and the fiend howled in pain. _The cross._ Oh, Sofia owed Cedric so much more than an apology now and, if she somehow survived this, she vowed to find some way to thank him properly for his gift. For the moment, the prudent thing to do was not allow this opportunity to escape the vampire's grip to go to waste.

The woman lunged at her, but Sofia learnt that she was, in fact, fast enough to dodge her attack, and even managed to trip her in the process. Reaching back, she retrieved one of the arrows from the quiver slung over her shoulder and used it to stake the fallen vampire — _vampiress?_ — from behind, turning her into a pile of ash. _One down…_

A heavy weight landed on her back, and she dropped to the ground, hearing the vampire topple down beside her. Rolling onto her side, Sofia found herself face-to-face with the male vampire who had been standing next to Benjamin when she first entered the crypt. Reacting quickly, she raced to her feet and drove the same arrow into his chest, finding her mark easily and defeating him before he could stand. _See, I can handle two vampires._ A smug grin stretched across her face. If Emily Pratt were there she might have stuck her tongue out at the woman, not caring in the least if the gesture was rather childish.

Before she could spend long revelling in her achievement, Benjamin landed a hard punch through the falling ashes of his companion, causing her to drop the arrow and falter backwards. She ducked a second blow and kicked him in the kneecap, knocking down. While she was reaching for a fresh arrow so she could finish him off, the same gnarled hands grabbed her again, tugging her back against their owner's large body.

"That is quite enough, Slayer", he growled into her ear, lowering his face to the spot where her shoulder and neck connected, directly below the band of Cedric's choker. His pointed fangs grazed her, and she scrunched her eyes shut, preparing for the vision of her Watcher to be the last thing she ever saw.

A loud crashing sound came from behind and the vampire dropped to the ground. Sofia spun to investigate only to spy a hooded figure standing over the unconscious monster, pieces of a broken urn littering the floor around the latter. The mysterious stranger grabbed her arm roughly, dragging her through the doorway and back out into the cemetery, where the sun was just beginning to colour the horizon in rosy pinks.

"Wait, I can't go yet!" Sofia protested her own salvation, wrestling herself free of the gloved hand wrapped around her wrist. "I have to kill Benjamin, or Emily will… and that– that man", she insisted, trying to run back inside the mausoleum.

Behind her, the would-be rescuer whispered something and, when she glanced over her shoulder to ask what they'd said, she suddenly grew very dizzy. Her vision faded to darkness and the last sensation she was cognisant of was being caught gently right before she could hit the ground.

...

"Sofia… Sofia, wake up."

 _That voice._ She knew that wonderful baritone, the one that had spent years patiently guiding her — first as an apprentice and now as his Slayer. Sofia opened her eyes, wincing in the harsh daylight. Her head throbbed terribly and it was difficult to focus her blurred sight on the man leaning over her, his face contorted in overwhelming concern.

"Cedric?" Sofia squeaked. She struggled to sit, but everything ached and she was forced to give up.

"What were you thinking running off like that? You could have been killed!" he admonished her. "You… You scare me to death, girl!"

Sofia concentrated on flashing him what she hoped could pass for a contrite smile, though it took all of her energy to do even this simple thing.

"I did say I was sorry" she offered weakly.

"Right, like that makes it any better", he grumbled.

Despite his complaints, his hand cupped her cheek, and she nuzzled against the rough fabric of his fingerless gloves.

"What happened?"

His silvery bangs and the distinct features of his face were starting to come into focus, though the scowl she received made her question if this was really a good thing.

"Damned if I know. When it got to be light out and you hadn't returned, I came after you. Found you lying on this bench, and it took at least a half hour to wake you."

This time, when Sofia tried to get up, he helped her and claimed the emptied space beside her on the wooden bench, keeping his arm encircled around her waist to steady her.

"I… I think there was someone else. Were they here when you found me?" Sofia glanced around, but there was no trace of the hooded person.

Cedric shook his head, studying her closely. She tried to remember the details of what had transpired, but the throbbing in her head made it impossible to concentrate.

"Take me home, please."

* * *

Cedric opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut and drew his wand from his robe, using the magical tool to transport them back to his tower where he deposited her into one of his chairs like she was a small child or some sort of invalid. **5.10.18:** Combined two chapters (formerly Emily and The Other) into one. Edited for typos and grammer.

 **4.9.18 Author's Note:** So this chapter gained quite a lot in the rewrite, but it is still short by comparison. Nothing major has changed, just added insight into Sofia and Cedric's feelings about the situation. Especially Cedric, since his stance on everything he was taught since he was a child has taken a quite a hit ever since he discovered who, exactly, his Slayer is.

 **Original Author's Note:** Short chapter today, only because this was the best place to end this update.

...

 **5.9.18 Author's Note:** I did what I could, but this chapter is still extremely short. Honestly, if it wouldn't break the site to merge this chapter with the last one, I would. Under the new "Season" format, this will conclude Season 1 of this story. Season 2 will run through Halloween, so be sure to check back.

 **31.10.17 Author's Note:** Another short chapter, because I wanted to be sure to get this out by tonight. Happy Halloween, everyone!


	5. Bonus Chapter: Blood Ties

Birthright

Bonus Chapter: Blood Ties

* * *

As the dust cleared from her latest victory, Nessa's eyes widened in astonishment. Standing before her was the familiar form of a boy, one who definitely should not be wandering around the playground at this time of night.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, her gaze leaving him just long enough to sweep their surroundings for any sign that there may be more danger lurking nearby.

"I wanted to ask you a favour", came his simple explanation.

Assured that they were relatively safe, for the moment at least, she sighed and tucked her stake into the top of her boot. "You should be home in bed", she insisted, offering her hand and smiling gently as he took it. "What do you need?"

"I want you to teach me to be brave, like you."

The request caught her off guard, and she studied him curiously. "I'm not– I don't do this because I'm brave", she confessed, giving his smaller hand a quick squeeze.

"You don't?" Large, dark eyes turned upwards to meet hers.

She shrugged her shoulders, becoming more aware of the weight that burdened them. "There isn't anyone else. If I didn't protect everyone, no one would." It was the only answer, but she was as unsatisfied with it as he appeared to be. "We should get you home. Your parents will be worried sick by now."

"They're your parents, too", he reminded her, but the truth to the statement didn't make the words any less foreign to her ears.

Her parents. Sure, they were the people that birthed her, but she couldn't remember a time that anyone besides her Watcher was in charge of her care. She truthfully didn't feel any sort of attachment to those people at all. "How come you don't live with us?"

"I told you that before. I had a mark on me when I was born, so my Watcher came and took me away to live with her." She frowned to herself as theboy shivered, chilled by a breeze that was uncommonly cool for this time of year, and tugged off her cloak, settling it on her brother's shoulders.

"Before I was born", he added, drawing the over-sized cloak around him.

"That's right."

In fact, she hadn't even heard she had a brother until the boy took it upon himself to seek her out, tracking her to the next town over and showing up unannounced on her doorstep to make 'proper introductions'. He was a weird kid, smart as a whip but painfully shy, a little pudgier than she suspected other boys tended to be. Sweet and naive, and she was oddly inclined to protect that innocence, though whether it was due to their familial connection or her calling was still a mystery.

"My friends all live with their brothers and sisters", he persisted, but she stayed quiet, not sure what he wanted to hear from her.

It wasn't as though she could just change her mind — quit being the Slayer and move back into the home she didn't remember, the one where her brother was raised as a normal child. An only child, up to last spring.

"Hey, kid. How old are you, anyway?" It had never occurred to her to ask him before, strangely enough.

"Twelve." He stopped walking, drawing in a breath and looking up at her again. "I just graduated from primary last month."

"That old?" she murmured, half to herself, as they started up again.

Her birth mother must have already been with child again when she left home. Did they make another baby specifically to replace the one they knew they'd be sending away?

They wove the beaten paths that connected their two towns in silence until the palace came into view. The closer the pair came to his home, the more his pace slowed, until she was practically dragging him behind her.

"Come with me", he pleaded when they lingered near the front steps. "You can meet mom and dad. I'm sure they're still awake."

Nessa smiled apologetically, shaking her head at the request. "Can't, sorry. I have more hunting to do tonight." She could tell he was hesitating, but she really needed to get back out there. "I need you to stay inside until morning. Can you do that?"

"I don't want you to leave. I– I have a bad feeling, like something's going to happen." His voice took on a much higher pitch than usual, and Nessa debated accepting his offer just to make him feel better.

If it weren't for the fact that she had sworn to her Watcher she'd keep a close eye on things tonight, she might have done so.

"I'll be careful. I promise." She nudged him towards the entrance. "Now go."

...

He'd been tracking this particular vampire for a week, just waiting for him to make a mistake. Their numbers had surged recently, due — if rumours were to be believed — to the untimely demise of the most recent Slayer. They were like children throwing a party before mommy and daddy could come home and catch them in the act. He'd seen it before, after Nessa was killed. Hell, he'd cut his teeth slaughtering the fiends that flocked to the area in the weeks following her funeral. That night, the last one he ever saw her alive, he'd asked her a favour: teach him to be brave, to be fearless like her. He had to concede that, in a strange way, she had done exactly that.

He hadn't expected to find himself at Royal Prep. This long after sundown, the school was an unlikely place for the vampire to be hunting, and yet here he was. If the last four years had taught him anything, it was to be patient and wait for the perfect opportunity to present itself. He readied his stake, but otherwise held perfectly still, crouched behind one of the grand old trees that lined this section of the path between the school and the stables. A redhead passed, and he watched her curiously as she shivered, tugging her cape more securely around her. For warmth? Perhaps, but it was only early autumn, yet, and there was hardly even a breeze.

She slowed to a halt and glanced around cautiously. Her eyes darted in his direction, the moonlight causing her fair features to glow against the backdrop of the surrounding darkness, and he instinctively ducked further back among the bare branches to avoid detection, but that didn't stop him from getting a good look at her. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, with rosy cheeks, wide, bright eyes, and silky, russet curls that tumbled down beyond her shoulders. The unshakable sense of recognition didn't detract from his awe in the least.

So this was the monster's prey. Out here alone, too far for anyone to possibly come to her rescue. The set-up was perfect. But the question nagged him as she began to move again, headed toward the stables. Why her? What made this girl so important that he'd come all this way just to catch her alone. A single answer came to mind, though he struggled to accept it. He couldn't believe it, because to entertain, even for an instant, the possibility that she was the next Slayer would inevitably lead to picturing her pale and motionless, like Nessa had been in her casket. That sort of diversion was not just unpleasant, it was dangerous. He had to keep his wits about him if he was going to—

The vampire moved like lightning, lunging out of the shadows to pounce on the girl just as she reached the stable's weathered doors, and he straightened up, ready to rush to her defence.

The crisp, distinct smell of magic preceded the green cloud that appeared just a few metres in front of him, the man that stepped out from the smoke, fortunately, too disorientated to notice him.

"Sofia!" the sorcerer called out, just before he turned to face away from the hiding spot. So the girl was Sofia Balthazaar. She'd grown quite a bit since the last time he'd seen her, but now that he'd heard her name, he could see that it was plainly her. He should have recognised those eyes.

The man's distinctive voice, paired with his unmistakable features made his identity painfully clear. Cedric the Sensational, son of Goodwyn the Great. From what he'd garnered in his research, the Watcher's Council ran on a combination of destiny and nepotism, and if the sorcerer was here, then one thing was certain — Sofia was fate's next sacrificial lamb, already as good as dead.

* * *

Author's note: Much like I said in an earlier chapter of Magpie, writing an entire chapter with one person who's identity is still a mystery is really, really difficult. I think I managed better with this one than I did back then.


	6. The Antidote

**Birthright**

 **Chapter 5:** The Antidote

* * *

Sofia had given Cedric the most accurate report of what transpired in his absence as she could, given the circumstances, and not a word had passed between them since she finished trying to describe the hooded figure and how suddenly her fainting spell had come on. Now she sat at the table drinking a steaming hot cup of black coffee and watching over the rim of his 'World's Greatest Sorcerer' mug as Cedric dug through his spell books, stopping every so often to scratch his head and mutter to himself. As he assured her it would, the caffeine had helped the throbbing in her head, but it did little for the way the room spun every time she moved even the slightest bit. He slammed his current tome shut, and she nearly jumped out of her skin as the loud thud echoed through the stone workshop. With a groan, he slid down into the desk chair and shot her a reproachful glare that made her shift uncomfortably in her seat.

"Couldn't find anything?" she ventured cautiously.

He huffed in response, crossing his arms and leaning back to study her more intently. The silence stretched on, interrupted only by the sounds of her diligently trying to choke down the bitter beverage as instructed despite never having developed the taste for it that Cedric seemed to possess.

"I don't think it was a spell", he finally interrupted the stillness, regaining her full attention.

When he offered nothing further, she decided it was up to her to ask. "No?" She rubbed her temples and gagged down another sip despite the lurching protests of her otherwise empty stomach. "Whatever it was really packed a punch."

"I believe you were dosed with something", Cedric informed her, spinning his chair to face away from her again. "You should consider yourself lucky that it wasn't more potent. Considering the effects, it likely could have been lethal."

"I don't... They didn't seem like they wanted to harm me", she mused, trying again to recall anything useful about her mysterious rescuer. "Why save me just to poison me?"

"Damned if I know", Cedric replied, his shoulders shrugging to emphasise that he hadn't any more to go on than she did.

"So... you're not angry?" Sofia winced, and not entirely from the after effects, as Cedric swept the stack of books off of his desk, sending them clattering to the floor with a groan.

"I'm furious. You were reckless, and stupid, and you directly defied me." Cedric twirled around to stare at her again, but his expression quickly softened and he sighed. "I'm also too knackered to deal with you right now. I'm likely to say something I'll only regret later, so just... finish your coffee and get out."

Sofia dutifully gulped down the last of it, though it burned her tongue to do so, then stood to take the first few tentative steps toward the exit, only to pause and turn back again. "Shall I come up later for training?"

Cedric only grunted and turned his back to her again, leaving her to wonder whether she was meant to take the throaty noise as an affirmative.

She held the wall for stability as she crept slowly down the stairs, finding herself oddly wishing Cedric would've just had his fit and got it over with. Whatever he had to say to her would certainly be preferable to his awful silence broken only by short, restrained responses. _I've never seen him this cross before. Not toward me, at least._ Some Slayer she was. The third day, and she had already disappointed Cedric, allowed two vampires to go free, and nearly died at least twice — possibly three times. Oh, and thanks to her, the Council had placed her Watcher on probation. _So much for fate._ Emily was right, clearly the universe chose the wrong person. She scoffed at the absurdity of it all as she carefully trailed the winding corridors that led to her chambers. Rather, the ones she thought were supposed to lead her there. Blinking in confusion, she searched frantically in every direction, realising that she didn't recognise anything in this section of the palace. Where... but she didn't finish the thought. Her vision blurred, painting the strange surroundings red. She was vaguely aware of her feet slipping out from under her, and then there was nothing.

...

"Sofia, can you hear me?"

She woke in an unfamiliar bed, covered in scratchy black sheets that were thoroughly saturated with her own sweat. A cool compress was pressed firmly against her forehead, the only small source of comfort she could find.

"Where am I?" The words didn't come out right, so she frowned at herself and meant to try again, only to be stopped by the sound of Cedric's voice.

"That's not important right now. I think I know what you came into contact with."

She pried her eyelids open, startled to find a monster looming over her, grotesque and terrifying in appearance. She drew away from his touch and shrieked, scrambling away from him as far as she could until her back came into contact with the wall. An enormous claw reached out and... stroked her fringe away from where it was plastered on her face. That couldn't be right. Calming somewhat, she cocked her head to the side, taking in the oddly familiar gold-speckled eyes that peered down at her with deep concern.

"Cedric? Why do you look like that?"

The beast glanced down at himself, then shook his head frantically. "You're hallucinating, it's a side effect." He dismissively waved his massive hand through the air between them. "I need to administer the antidote, but I warn you, it isn't pleasant."

Sofia squeezed her eyes shut and focused on the relaxing baritone of his voice instead of his nightmarish visage. After a deep breath eased her frazzled nerves, she gave a firm nod in response. "So what, I drink some foul tasting tea, or–" she began, daring to peek out at him again.

"Tea would be too slow. The poison has already been in your system for far too long, and you're only getting worse. If you were an ordinary girl, it would have killed you by now." He brandished a long metal tube, one end jutting out into a sharp pointed tip.

Though she didn't have much experience with such things, she recognised it for what it was - a needle.

"Why do you have that?" Sofia demanded, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

It wasn't that she didn't trust him, she did. Implicitly. She was, however, petrified of the object he held and what he intended to do with it.

"There will be time for questions later, girl. A simple yes is all I need", he pressed, gritting his teeth at her stalling.

She scrunched her eyes closed again, gathered all of her courage, and nodded. There was a sharp pain in the side of her neck, and she sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, then hissed at the sensation.

"Sorry. I did try to numb it while you slept, but you were thrashing around, and..."

She unscrewed her eyes to see Cedric, the normal human one, standing over her, his anger from earlier gone without a trace, replaced with nothing but genuine worry for her well-being. She tried to scoot to the edge of the bed and stand up but he was quick to stop her, resting a hand on her shoulder and urging her to stay put.

"You need to rest. That was Calabar bean extract, no telling how you'll handle it." He stood to place the needle on top of his dresser, muttering to himself, "Ironic..."

"What is?" she questioned, overhearing him.

He returned to the bedside and lifted the covers, gesturing for her to climb back underneath and lie down. "That it takes a poison to counteract a poison." He sighed, perching on the edge of the bed next to her. "Belladonna. That's what he drugged you with."

"How can you be sure?" Sofia asked, rolling onto her side and propping her head up on her bent arm to face him better.

"Are you feeling better?"

She nodded, truthfully already feeling the dreadful symptoms of the poison lessening with each passing second.

"That's how I'm sure." He shrugged, and Sofia's eyes grew wide at the revelation.

"You didn't know if it would work!" she spat the accusation, and he ducked his head sheepishly. "Why would you-"

"Your symptoms were an exact match, and if I'd waited any longer you'd be dead. Besides, I only used enough Calabar to give you a stomach ache, at most."

She should be angry with him for using her as his guinea pig, but the remedy was working perfectly. Besides, it was a huge relief to see him relatively back to his usual self.

"Next time, be sure first."

Cedric nodded apologetically, leaning against the cherry wood headboard, his cheerful facade melting away to show how truly exhausted he was.

"Don't tell me you intend for this to happen again", he teased weakly.

Sofia stuck her tongue out at him.

"I don't think I could survive another night like this one, and I'm not even the one who was poisoned."

Sofia sighed, honestly sorry for all she had put him through since leaving his tower the night before. She shifted until her head rested on his chest, wanting to be closer to him despite how heated her body felt. His hand reached around her back to rub comforting circles across her upper arm and she sighed into the light embrace.

"I never wanted to be a Watcher, you know", Cedric confessed, tucking his chin to see the surprise blossoming on her face. "Quite the contrary. I spent the better part of my life trying to get out of it. But, well you know better than anyone, don't you? Can't escape destiny, no matter how hard you rail against it."

"What happened?" Sofia quizzed, though the remedy, or perhaps the previous evening's events, made her eyelids grow steadily heavier.

"I finally agreed, if only to get my father off my back. Then the Council failed to identify my potential Slayer, and I thought I had somehow lucked my way out of the whole thing." Cedric chuckled, and Sofia smiled at the way the sound reverberated through the fabric of his tunic. "I could pretend to be cooperating without ever having to actually do it."

"You seemed to take it so seriously yesterday", she mumbled sleepily, then shifted to gaze up at him. "Did something change?"

"Of course it did. I found out you were my Slayer", he explained simply, squeezing her closer to him. "Sofia… if it had been anyone else, I would still be trying to escape my fate. Look, my point is, I'm a terrible Watcher. I never took the training seriously, and I've probably forgotten most of it. My Slayer already nearly died. More importantly, I almost lost my best friend."

Sofia couldn't have prevented the laughter that escaped her, and he stared down at her in utter confusion as she buried her face to at least muffle it somewhat.

"I'm being serious here, the least you could do is not laugh at me."

"I'm not, honestly. Before I fainted, I was thinking the same thing about how I'd already let you down", she admitted once she regained her composure.

"We're bound to disappoint each other, Sofia. We're going to have disagreements, and fail to see eye to eye. That's just life. We're our own people, so it's only natural."

She did her best to hear him out, though it was difficult to follow his words with the pulsing of his heart lulling her into slumber.

"What counts is what we do afterwards, how we move forward from those moments. You and I, we've always handled that part pretty well, haven't we?"

"Because that part's easy", she reassured him, finally giving in to her weariness and allowing her eyes to stay closed instead of forcing them back open. "We're a team, remember."

"S'right. We're in this together."

She smiled to herself as she slipped off into a dreamless sleep. _'We're in this together'_. It seemed to be rapidly becoming their motto.

...

Sofia woke again to find herself alone in the bed and pouted at the empty expanse of mattress beside her. While she and Cedric were often affectionate with one another, they certainly had never snuggled like that before, and she doubted she'd be afforded the opportunity to do so again. It had been rather pleasant, to say the very least, to drift off to the steady beating of his heart and the low murmurs of his comforting words. Setting aside the palpable sense of loss the empty room filled her with, she rose and stretched muscles that, thankfully, no longer seared with pain. Her stomach, too, was better, though now it demanded her attention for other reasons.

She stood and exited the room, surprised to find herself standing in the hallway of what appeared to be a hidden private residence within the tower. She twirled around to take in the space, only to find herself face-to-face with its occupant.

"Oh good, you're up." He smiled warmly at her, but she could sense something was amiss just below the surface of his cheerful expression.

What that something could be, though, she hadn't the faintest idea and with Cedric it was often best not to pry before he felt like discussing things.

"You, uhm… you slept well?"

She scrutinised him more closely, growing increasingly certain in her assessment that all was not right with the sorcerer. If there was one thing Cedric held in particular contempt, it was small talk, and his strained efforts at it spoke volumes.

"Yes… Yes, of course. Did you?"

His only answer came in the form of a distracted 'hm?'. "Is something the matter?" She placed a hand on the crook of his elbow, but he stared down at it with such intensity that she pulled back without thinking.

"I'm fine, Sofia", he promised, failing to look her in the eye. "Why don't you go get yourself something to eat?"

She was about to argue that he clearly was not 'fine', but her stomach growled its agreement at the suggestion and she flushed in embarrassment.

Cedric hastily showed her how to exit his private quarters, stopping at the door instead of heading out into the workshop with her.

"Should I come back after?" she asked him.

Cedric shook his head. "We've both been through a lot today. Let's just– we'll work on your training tomorrow, alright?"

She opened her mouth to respond, perhaps to point out that they could just enjoy each other's company without worrying about training, but the door shut in her face much the way it used to when she was a child.

...

After checking to make sure the coast was clear, Sofia snuck out of the palace under the cover of night, covering the distance between the grand entrance and the bridge in astonishing time thanks to her enhanced speed. When she was safely within the boundaries of the village she stopped to catch her breath, then ambled through the lesser used cobblestone roads that led to the cemetery.

It didn't matter that Cedric was acting strangely, or that Emily was watching them like a hawk. It especially didn't matter that no one, not even herself, believed that she could do this. It was her duty, her calling, and the only way to both prove herself capable and protect others was to finish what she'd started the night before. Training or no training, there were at least two vampires still lurking in the village, and no one who lived there was aware of the danger in their midst. She knew the things that went bump in the night, and it fell to her to do something about them. If doing the thing she was born for just so happened to temporarily clear the chaos in her head, forcing her to focus only on the here and now of the battle, well… that was just an added bonus, wasn't it?

She slid to a halt in front of the gates, staring up at the ornate black metal before shoving it aside. It was easy to pick out the path back to the old mausoleum, especially with her instinct acting as a better guide than any map ever drawn. She'd kill Benjamin, and that other vampire, and the one after that. She'd rid the kingdom of every demon with enough nerve to show its hideous face if it meant Cedric would have a Slayer he could be proud of and the Council would leave them be. Perhaps Goodwyn would even find it in him to swallow his pride and admit he'd been wrong about them. Now that would be no small miracle.

The crypt was just coming into view when a pair of hands grabbed her from behind, yanking her off the path. She flipped herself around and threw a punch at her attacker before even bothering to see who it was.

The hooded figure stumbled backwards, a hand to their obscured face. "Ow, fuck!" A man's voice. "What did you do that for?"

"You poisoned me!" Sofia accused him.

Sure, it wasn't really why she'd hit him, but he did have it coming after what he put her through.

"A simple miscalculation, I assure you. My intention was to knock you out, not cause you any harm. I thought you'd be..." He paused, and though Sofia couldn't see the face beneath the hood, she was acutely aware of his scrutinising gaze and her flesh goose-pimpled everywhere she imagined him to be appraising. "bigger", he finished plainly.

For the first time that day Sofia was glad to have earned someone's disapproval, but that wasn't the part that struck her most.

This man had imagined her. He had expected a Slayer, albeit a larger one, when he found her in the mausoleum.

"You're with the Council", she stated, taking a step back from him.

She knew enough about the group to have no desire to speak with one of them alone, especially after her blatant missteps during the confrontation with Emily.

"Not as such."

She rather disliked the mockery in his tone, and thought to tell him as much, but she had more questions now and didn't suppose that bickering with him over manners would lead to her curiosity being sated.

"Then how do you know about that?"

The thick covering of his shoulders raised up and dropped down in an exaggerated shrug.

"I could be wrong. Perhaps you're only a stupid girl who marched herself into a den of vampires, the lair of a Master no less, drastically unprepared." He reached into the front of his robe and began to draw something. "Perhaps you have a death wish of some sort. On the off chance that I'm right..."

Assuming he was getting a weapon, Sofia retrieved her stake and raised it between them. "Drop it!" she hissed, fixing her steely gaze on him again.

He held the item — a hefty leather bound journal — in one hand as he raised his arms above his head. "It's only a book, Sofia."

She suppressed a shudder at the sound of her name and, keeping her aim trained on the general location of his heart, took one hesitant step towards him.

"One I believe you may be quite interested in."

Her eyes flickered from it to him, studying him suspiciously. He had poisoned her and tricked her into all but confessing her secret. There wasn't a single reason for her to trust this stranger. The logical thing would be to turn and flee, to seek out the shelter of Cedric's side and tell her Watcher everything that had transpired while she was away.

"What's in it?" She slid closer to him, reaching a tentative hand out to take the book.

He tugged it away at the last second. "You didn't say please", he taunted, wagging a finger in her direction. "This is the Watcher's Diary kept by Goodwyn the Great."

Sofia wasn't sure why he expected her to be interested in such a thing. After all, anything useful in Goodwyn's journal was just as likely to be imparted to her by the man himself, or at the very least his son.

"It seems his proficiency at being a sorcerer is exceeded only by his knack for being a Watcher. His Slayer lived a lot longer than most girls."

"Good for her." Sofia crossed her arms and resisted the urge to roll her eyes like a petulant child, no longer interested in what he had to offer her. "Now if you'll excuse me–" She turned to leave, but he was faster than she'd anticipated, gripping her arm with a strength nearly rivalling her own.

"Two years", he spat as she fought to dislodge his fingers.

Sofia froze, trying to wrap her head around what he'd just said. "What?"

He released her of his own accord, apparently believing she was now willing to hear him out. "Goodwyn's Slayer. She lived two years after being chosen."

She put some space between them, urging her mouth to form something more coherent than the inane stream of random consonants that fell from her lips.

"What's wrong, Sofia? Not impressed? That's double the average, quite an accomplishment."

 _Double the... that isn't true!_ She refused to believe that most Slayers died within the first year. Slayers were strong and fast. They healed at an incredible rate and they could sense danger when it approached. Memories from the night before came flooding in, no matter how hard she tried to shove them back into her subconscious. For all her supernatural strength, the vampire he'd saved her from held her easily, stilling her attempts to escape and very nearly...

"You're lying." She made another failed attempt to collect the journal, but his size advantage won out.

Distant footsteps behind him disrupted the brief quiet that followed, and Sofia noticed the way he shifted nervously at the sound.

"Maybe, maybe not", he muttered, then gestured his head in the direction of the noise. "Does Daddy know you're here?"

She shook her head slowly, shifting her attention away from him to see who was coming. "No one does. I came alone", she informed him as he scooted closer, reaching back into his robe for what she guessed really was a weapon this time.

"Sofia!" There was no doubt that it was Cedric searching for her, and he was getting close.

"Alone, right? We'll meet again, Sofia." He dashed off down the path and through the back gates.

Sofia tried to pursue him but a barrier of thick, thorny vines sprung up to cover the opening. She grunted in frustration, kicking the fence beside it to unleash some of her anger.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Season 2! Thanks to everyone who has been waiting for this, and to the people who liked posts on tumblr for being incredibly patient while there were some delays. Not a lot to say except that I hope this chapter makes up for the very long break, and that you guys enjoy. Can't remember where I read the one year average thing first, possibly my old copy of the Watcher's Guide. Internet search confirmed it while I was looking it up for this chapter.


	7. Falling Out

**Birthright**

 **Ch 6:** Falling Out

* * *

The clattering of metal caught Cedric's ear, and he increased his speed in its direction, hoping he would find Sofia and not anyone else who might be lurking about in a graveyard in the middle of the night. Demon or otherwise, there could be no good reason to possess such a hobby, and he'd rather not meet anyone who did.

Well, there was a singular good reason to be hanging out in a graveyard at night, pursuing a teenage girl no less, and he had managed to stumble upon it. "Sofia!" he called again, this time to gain her attention now that he'd found her, but she only slumped forward, gripping the iron bars and staring out beyond them. Damn it, he'd known she wasn't recovered enough to be out here. Breaking into a run, he closed the remaining distance between them in mere seconds and reached a hand out to grip her shoulder.

Instead, she spun on her heels, glaring at him with features so contorted by contempt that they were virtually unrecognisable. "One year?" she demanded loudly enough to wake the dead, possibly quite literally.

Was he meant to know what she was talking about or why she was so upset? Cedric shook his head, drawing a complete blank.

"Slayers live one year? How could you not tell me?"

"I– I… Sofia, I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, but..." He raised his hand again, meaning to draw her in, but she jerked away from his fingers. "Look, whatever it is, let's just… go home. We'll figure it out there."

She turned and kicked the fence again instead of making any motion to head back to the palace with him. "There's no way you didn't already know." she spoke so quietly that he scarcely heard her, and he took a hesitant step in her direction in case she had anything else to say. "Goodwyn's Slayer lasted two years. Quite the accomplishment, I'm told. Then she died, and he's somehow a hero because it didn't happen a year sooner."

"Sofia, I was an infant when my father was an active Watcher. I swear, I didn't know anything about her."

Her eyes, when she finally looked at him again, were oozing pure venom. "You expect me to believe that no one ever mentioned it? Not your father, not in all your fancy training?" Cedric sighed, trying to recall if he'd ever been told exactly how long Slayers tended to survive, other than 'not very'.

"I'm sorry. It was a long time ago, and I did say I never paid much attention", Cedric confessed, bowing his head apologetically.

"Because it didn't matter?" Sofia supplied the reason, painfully astute as ever.

"Yes! Wait, I mean…" He ran a hand down his face, trying to maintain his already unsteady grasp of what was happening. "Would you just let me explain it properly?"

"No, I think you've made yourself perfectly clear. My life wasn't important enough to be bothered with. Sorry to be so much trouble for you." She tried to pass him, to take the path back to the village, perhaps, but now he wasn't ready to end this discussion. Not on that note, at least.

Though he knew he didn't possess even an ounce of her strength, he gripped her wrist as it swung at her side, tugging her back toward him. "You have never troubled me."

He meant it. Even when she was a precocious child, constantly foiling his plans without even suspecting that he was up to no good, it was impossible to begrudge her. How could he, when she constantly went out of her way to be nicer to him than anyone else had bothered to in a very long time? When she gazed up at him with such innocent adoration that even a heart made of solid forever frost couldn't stand a chance against her?

"Never", he repeated firmly. "If I was told that number, it was in the context of some nameless girl that I had absolutely no good reason to care about." Truthfully, that sounded a lot better before he said it aloud, but it was too late to fix it now. "Look, I'm a selfish bastard. Have I ever claimed otherwise?"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she enquired after a pause, yanking her arm away.

He opened his mouth to respond, but she wasn't finished.

"Or was it merely for your sake? A convenient excuse for how you can harbour so little concern about whether somebody else lives or dies must make it so much easier to sleep at night."

"I haven't", he mumbled under his breath, shifting his focus to the dirt beneath his boots, which he kicked at absently.

"Haven't what?"

He hadn't really intended for her to hear him, but since she did he took a deep breath and lifted his head again. "I haven't slept. Not through the night at least, not since you were called."

He wouldn't tell her everything. The last thing Sofia needed right now was to be burdened with the bleak details of what he dreamt during the brief patches of slumber his body forced upon him, devastating images of him collapsing beside an open grave, blubbering useless apologies as his heart shattered to pieces over her loss, scenes that played through his thoughts long after he jerked himself awake again, tormenting him just as much by the light of day as they had the night before. He wasn't entirely sure what he expected from her by telling her even this much. Not sympathy, obviously — not when she was out here endangering herself for everyone else's sake and he couldn't even be bothered to remember such a crucial detail about her new role.

"Sofia, we'll figure this out. We'll talk to Goodwyn, and... and train harder, night and day if need be. With enough practice, I'm sure–"

She scoffed, shaking her head at him and crossing her arms, drawing herself into her own embrace instead of seeking his the way she usually did when she was upset. "I tried that today and you practically shoved me out the door, remember?"

Of course he did, but that was only because he'd been shook awake by another nightmare, and the sight of Sofia sleeping soundly beside him, alive and well and looking every bit like a fiery seraph in the pale light that streamed in through his window to wash over her… that was all too much to handle at the time. By the time he came back to find her standing in his hallway, he freaked out, and that was his own problem to deal with. Later, once everything between them was back to normal again.

"That was about something else", he excused the behaviour awkwardly, perfectly aware of how lame it sounded.

"Right. You'll be happy to know that I have no interest in training with you. You've… how did you put it earlier? 'Lucked out'." She started to leave again as he mulled over the statement, forcing him to hurry so he could catch up with her.

"What are you talking about? Of course we'll train. We both will, I told you, we're–"

"Yes, please. Tell me again how 'we're in this together'. How this is something you and I are both facing, while you sit in your tower with your guides and your, your Watcher's journal, as I go out every night without any guarantee that I'll ever return."

Her voice cracked, and if he wasn't positive she would just reject him again, he would have tried to comfort her. Still, she was accusing him of sitting back and doing nothing, and of being indifferent to her safety, and he felt obligated to defend himself.

"That isn't fair. You know I would be out here with you if I could", he insisted, pointedly ignoring the way she rolled her eyes at him. "If I did that, Emily'd…"

"Of course. Well I have news for you and Emily. I'm done." She tried to take off again, but he sped in front of her, planting himself firmly between her and the path to the exit.

"What do you mean, done?" Cedric quizzed, scooting to keep her there whenever she tried to get by.

"Just what it sounds like. I refuse to be the Slayer", Sofia informed him, as though such a choice was anywhere within the realm of possibility.

"Sofia, you can't do that. You're the chosen one, it's your destiny."

She was stubborn enough to try it, and he shuddered to think about how the Council would react to a Slayer who refused to hunt. He was certain it had never happened before. It would signal the end of his probation, that much was obvious.

"And being a Watcher was yours. Look how seriously you took it."

"You can't escape this. It's who you are now."

"Watch me."

"Sofia..." If she would just stay still and listen to him long enough for them to sort things out, he believed they could get past this.

Unfortunately, she refused to cooperate, even moreso than usual. "You want the vampires dealt with so badly?" She stopped and dug her stake out, trying to hand it to him. When he refused to take it, she threw it to the ground instead. "Then you go kill them. I'm finished with monsters and graveyards, and especially with the Council."

"But not me, right?" he called after her as he watched her back disappearing into the distance.

She couldn't be through with him. They were best friends.

Weren't they?

"Slay them myself", he muttered, retrieving the discarded stake and glancing around in all directions.

She might have at least told him where the vampires were first.

…

Sofia ambled the twisting paths of the cemetery, allowing herself to get as lost in the rows of headstones as she was in her own head. She'd never quarreled with Cedric before, at least not this seriously. In all honesty, as much as it irked her to learn how little interest he once held in the fate of his future Slayer, now that she had some time to reflect on it, it was obvious that he cared greatly now that it was her life on the line. Besides, she wasn't entirely certain he was who she was mad at in the first place. It had just come as such a shock, what the hooded man said about the longevity of a Slayer, and Cedric showed up right when she was desperate for an outlet. _He didn't deserve that_ , she scolded herself. Coming to a halt, she tried to guess at which direction she should take in order to find him again and apologise for her outburst. Again. _I seem to have a lot to be sorry for lately_ , she moped silently.

Just as she was deciding on the most promising way, her senses detected a presence behind her. "Why are you following me?" Her question was met with a throaty laugh as the hooded figure stepped into her field of vision.

"You're good, I'll give you that much. I could always sneak up on the last one."

It occurred to her that he might be lying, so she purposely squelched any indication that he'd raised her curiosity with his claim.

"I hung around the entrance for a while, but you didn't come out. Thought you might have got yourself into trouble again."

"Well, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine, so–" A scream ripped through the graveyard, causing Sofia's heart to leap so high into her throat that she thought she might choke on it. "Cedric."

She raced off into the direction that the clamour had come from, and the stranger followed after, struggling less to keep up than she expected.

"Your Watcher? Why would he be out here?" he panted while running alongside her.

"Because he's an… because I'm an idiot", Sofia confessed, keeping her eyes trained on the ground so she wouldn't trip, which would cost her valuable time in reaching Cedric. "I told him to fight the vampires himself."

They skidded in front of the mausoleum, but there was no sign of him.

"You are an idiot."

This caught her off-guard, to the point that she almost stumbled.

"A Watcher is no match for a vampire, not even a newly turned one. All that training doesn't teach them a thing about what it's really like to battle demons."

"I know that", she spat out, gripping her side where a cramp threatened her search efforts. "I didn't think he would actually try... It's your fault, too", she accused him, scanning the dirt until she found tracks: footprints and larger ones that appeared startlingly like a Cedric-sized man being dragged.

 _He's okay. He has to be. I haven't apologised to him yet._ She stayed on the trail, trying to pay no mind to the mysterious man as he travelled along with her.

"My fault? Do you always have this much trouble accepting responsibility?"

"You have no idea what kind of responsibilities I have to deal with." How dare he question her, and about that of all things. She'd been racking up insane amounts of duty and obligation since she was eight years old. Aside from that, her life wasn't any of his business.

"Stop", he commanded, and she felt her cheeks flame with anger.

"No, you've–"

His hand flew up to block her, and she understood why when she spotted a small group of vampires — four to be precise, circling an unconscious robed figure. Cedric.

"Why aren't they…? You know", she whispered.

He collected her hand and led her behind a row of graves, and though she considered him to be detestable in general, she was grateful for this, because if she'd been left to her own devices the sight of Cedric in danger would have left her frozen in place.

She waited for an answer, but he simply shook his head, pushing her further down behind the headstone as one of the vampires paced by. When the coast was clear, she peeked back up to keep an eye on Cedric while she tried to concoct a rescue plan.

"I think I know", he informed her, his obscured face turning from her to Cedric and then back again. "Are the two of you- have you been close?"

Sofia furrowed her brow, failing to grasp his meaning. "What are you talking about?"

"Physically. Have you been physically close recently? A hug, or- or…?" He trailed off and her thoughts turned to an afternoon spent cuddled up in bed with her best friend.

She opened her mouth to tell him, only to shut it again in an instant. ' _We were in bed together.' 'We slept together.'_ She wasn't naive enough to miss how easily such words could be misconstrued.

"It's possible", she settled on, praying that the renewed burning in her cheeks wasn't visible in the darkness.

"He probably reeks of you. It's a trap."

Of course. There was something in Cedric's book about their heightened senses. After her run-in the night before, they knew she was the Slayer, and if he smelled like her it would only stand to reason that she'd come for him.

"What should we do?"

"Leave him. Live to fight another day."

Under any other circumstances, Sofia would have given the man a piece of her mind, but she didn't have time to waste on arguing with him, not while Cedric needed her. The only option was to fight, with or without his help. She rose quietly to her feet, surveying the area for anything that might function as a weapon, cursing herself for leaving her only stake behind.

"Sofia, let's go", he hissed, wrapping his fingers around her forearm to drag her away.

To lead her to safety. He cared if she was safe, had since they met in the mausoleum. Well, if he wanted to keep her out of danger, he would first have to follow her headlong into it, because there was no way she was leaving here without Cedric. She shook herself free, stomping on a nearby branch and bending it back until a piece of it broke off that could reasonably pass for a stake. The echoing crack put every vampire on alert, shouting to each other about the noise and falling back to defend the marker Cedric was slumped against.

"What are you doing?"

"Rescuing my best friend!" She ran straight into the group, smirking victoriously as she heard his heavy feet chasing after her.

Whatever else this man might be, he was about to become her reluctant ally in battle.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Sorry it's a few hours late (technically Thursday here), but here we go. Just wanted to say the view count after the last chapter went up was far beyond my expectations. I'm really happy to see there's still an interest in this story after almost a year!


	8. The Rescue

**Birthright**

 _The Rescue_

* * *

"What are you doing?" he asked, as if the answer wasn't painfully obvious.

"Rescuing my best friend!"

She charged straight into the group of waiting vampires, smirking victoriously as she heard his heavy feet chasing after her. Whatever else this man might be, he was about to become her reluctant ally in battle.

By breaking the branch, she'd thrown away any chance at surprising the foes, so she would have to rely on her own abilities and hope that the hooded man was at least half as good at fighting as he was at being an irritating jerk.

"Sofia, watch out!" he called from behind her.

She didn't need a warning to see the vampire, a young man who looked just enough like her brother to be disturbing, headed directly for her.

"I can't believe you fell for this", the fiend mocked her.

If there was a point when Sofia might have cared that her attack amused this monster, she was far past it now. Raising her makeshift stake, Sofia raced forward to attack, but the James impostor only used her momentum to flip her through the air, landing her roughly on her back behind him.

"That didn't hurt", she wheezed, rolling away as he tried to descend on her. "Not… one bit."

She struggled to her feet before he did, kicking him back down to the ground as much to let out her pent up frustration with this whole rotten night as to keep her slim advantage over the vampire.

"You can't win."

He wrapped his strong hands around her ankle before she could slip away but she swept her other leg up, striking her worn boot across his monstrous face. The act cost her what precious balance she had. She fell again, this time right beside him. Fortunately, she recovered faster than he did, lifting herself up just enough to drive the stake through his heart. He disappeared beneath her and she landed face first in the hard earth below. _One down…_

Something was off.

There were three vampires left, and by her estimation at least one of them should be upon her by now. Raising up on her hands, she glanced around to take in her surroundings. Her oddly peaceful surroundings.

A few metres away, Cedric sat propped against a headstone, his head lolled to the side, eyes still shut - if she didn't know any better she could imagine he was sleeping peacefully. From somewhere behind him, she could just barely make out the sounds of a battle, the robed man fighting against the very foes he'd warned her away from. It wasn't right to leave him to face the remaining vampires alone, not when she'd downright forced him into this, so she pushed herself up, ignoring the answering pain that shot through her spine, and hurried over to Cedric.

"Cedric… wake up!"

Shaking her friend did nothing aside from eliciting a small groan from him, so she changed course to digging through his robe pockets in search of her stake. This, too, proved fruitless. Likely he'd dropped it when he got himself captured, and the broken branch would have to continue to suffice for the time being.

"I'll be back for you", she whispered, gently stroking her fingertips across his cheek.

Content that he was safe, at least for now, she headed down the small slope beyond in time to find the hooded man too engaged with the vampire in front of him to notice the one sneaking up behind him. She broke into a run, but didn't make it more than a few steps before he spun around, waving a hand through the air as he moved. In an instant, vines began to crop up around them, ensnaring one of his opponents and lashing the other as he tried to flee. Her eyes grew wide at the impossible display. Vampires were supposed to be immune to magic, or at the very least resistant to it. Weren't they?

"Don't just stand there!" he commanded, whipping his head up to face her. "The last one went that way." He gestured towards town, and she was aware that the final vampire must be stopped before he made it out of the cemetery, but she couldn't just leave him to face these two alone… "Go!"

With that, her mind was made up, and she ran the path to Dunwiddie, attempting to clear her muddled thoughts and attune with those enhanced Slayer senses that had never yet led her astray.

The hooded man had been deceived, she learnt after a few minutes, when her intuition led her to make a sharp turn about halfway through the graveyard. The vampire wasn't on its way to town to feed on the late night revellers, it was doubling back to the mausoleum. To what end: to seek cover, or gather reinforcements, perhaps to warn the others… she wasn't sure, but she intended to stop the vampire before its purposes were revealed.

She skidded to a halt when the cloaked figure came into view again, darting past her without taking any notice of her whatsoever.

He knew. Probably before she did. He'd sent her on a wild goose chase so he could go after the last one on his own. But why?

The answers would have to come later, as a trail of blood snaked across the dirt behind him, alerting Sofia to the danger he was putting himself in by hunting down a vampire on his own while injured. Not that she was in the greatest shape herself, but at least she wasn't torn open anywhere. Her extremely mixed impressions of the man be damned, she was the Slayer, and that meant it was her duty to save him. Resolute in her decision, she chased after him.

"You're not who I was expecting."

Sofia paused, spying on the vampire from a short distance away as her companion encountered her.

"No. I'm better." If a voice could smirk, his did.

Sofia had to remind herself that she was not going to let the arrogant stranger become dinner, no matter how satisfying it might be to watch.

"Wanna know why?"

"Not particularly." The woman, no doubt a noble in her previous incarnation given the lavish garment she wore and the way she carried herself, glared scornfully at him as she advanced.

He dodged her attack effortlessly, and swept his leg to kick hers out from under her. "Too bad." With a mirthless laugh he settled into a spot next to her, reaching a hand out to conjure more thorny vines, which wrapped around the fiend and locked her firmly in place. "I'm better because she's too busy fretting over everyone else to focus on keeping herself alive. I tried to send her home, and what does she do? Picks a fight she can't possibly hope to win. The selfless fool."

He glanced over his shoulder, his gaze landing so directly on Sofia that there was no way it was coincidental. Embarrassment over being caught eavesdropping warred with righteous indignation, and she stood frozen in place by his unseen gaze, unsure whether to duck further out of sight or march right up to him and tell him a thing or two about loyalty.

"I know you're there, Sofia."

When she didn't answer, his fabric covered shoulders shrugged, and he did something even more alarming. He released the vampiress from her prison.

"I've known the entire time", he added, easily avoiding an attack.

Sofia witnessed the battle between the robed figure and the young woman in quiet amazement. The two bodies moved fluidly through the night, equally matched as much in grace as they were in speed and brute strength.

She was especially transfixed by the man, who fought with precision and cold calculation, possessing a keen insight of when and how to strike his opponent. This, she realised, was what it would take to survive her first year as a Slayer. This brutal mastery of her own abilities, and absolute knowledge of the enemy were required if she wanted to live to see her next birthday.

Replaying her previous encounters with the undead and comparing them to the one unfolding before her left her reeling with how woefully inadequate she was for this task that fate had hoisted upon her.

The woman hissed at him as she tried to escape, the animalistic sound calling Sofia's focus back to the present, but another carefree flick of his wrist caused a sharp branch to jut from the ground below, the pointed tip piercing her through the back and turning her to dust before she even registered that she'd been struck. Sofia gasped, in absolute awe of this man who seemed to command the very earth so effortlessly.

"Here, I found this." He trudged the few metres to her hiding spot and held out a stake for her to recover, but it wasn't the weapon that caught her attention.

His sleeve was torn, the source of his blood loss prominently displayed beneath.

"You're injured." Sofia reached a hand out to inspect the angry wound, but he jerked away from her, covering his arm with one gloved hand.

"It's nothing. Caught myself on my own vines."

Sofia rolled her eyes as he drew his robe further in around himself, unsurprised to find he possessed a stubborn streak. "Even so, you should let me-"

"I said it's nothing!" he snapped. "I'll put a little yarrow on it, and it'll be perfectly fine."

"For your information, having friends and a family doesn't make me weak", Sofia changed the subject, seeing no point in arguing with him further if he refused to let her help. "On the contrary, it gives me something to fight for."

"Yeah? Try losing them."

A hush fell on the cemetery as she fought for a response. Was he speaking from personal experience, or simply trying to get even further under her skin? There was no good way to tell for certain, short of asking him to elaborate, and she hardly knew him well enough to encroach on such a personal topic.

"I'll go see if there's any more around. Your Watcher's probably up by now. You should go check on him before he gets himself captured again."

"That wasn't his fault", she shot, crossing her arms and staring defiantly at the shadow beneath his hood, the old obligation to defend her mentor rearing as strongly as ever despite their earlier quarrel. "And he has a name, you know."

"Not interested!" he called over his shoulder, already marching away from her.

...

"Cedric!" Ignoring the fact that he was struggling to his feet, Sofia dove at her best friend, knocking him backwards onto the ground and covering his cheek with quick, light kisses despite a stream of stammered protests from him.

Cedric could have died before she found him, and those horrible things she'd said to him would have been the last, and the knowledge of that was beyond terrifying. If time was no longer a luxury she possessed, then she was determined not to spend it at odds with the people who meant most to her in the world. _Try losing them_ , the remark repeated against her will, and she suppressed a small shiver at the very notion of such a tragedy.

"Honestly, Sofia," He caught her by the shoulders mid-attack and held her at arms length, but the lopsided grin told he wore told her he was just as relieved to see her as she was him. "This is a bit much, even for you."

"I'm just glad you're alright", she confessed, fighting his grip until she was resting against his chest. Cedric chuckled and wrapped his arms around her.

"Yes, I can see that", he mumbled into the top of her head.

"I mean it. I said the most awful things to you, and if that was the last time we ever spoke…" She trailed off, sucking in a deep breath to compose herself.

"Me too." He drew her back to him, running a hand through her dishevelled curls. "Whatever you want, I'll support you in it. If you want to quit, or-or wage war on the council, or even just have a good cry..."

The sound of leaves crunching beneath heavy boots, followed by a throat clearing behind her, reminded Sofia that they were not, in fact, the only two people in the world, so she shuffled off of Cedric's lap to stand, offering her hand once she was steady and tugging him to his feet.

"I scouted around, but I don't see any more vampires in the area. Even the mausoleum's been abandoned." He paused, his covered head turning back and forth between the two of them. "You should take your Watcher home. This is no place for him."

Sofia opened her mouth to retort, again, to his referring to Cedric in title only, but he was already retreating.

"I don't know whether to strangle him or thank him", Cedric admitted, returning his attention to Sofia.

She certainly understood the sentiment. The robed man had only been in her life a very short time, but he'd already been both foe and ally, not to mention all the trouble he'd stirred up with that book of his, and she wondered if they'd ever learn his true nature.

"Did he just say 'Watcher'?"

"I'll… explain that later", Sofia promised, though she didn't really have any idea how much the man knew about them, either. She supposed it was enough to cause further damage — were he so inclined — which meant Cedric needed to be aware of the situation.

"Let's go home, then", he replied, producing his wand to transport them back to the tower.

"I have a better idea." Sofia grinned, collecting Cedric's free hand and leading him back onto the worn path to town.

* * *

 **13.2.19:** There was a bit of dialogue I removed before I originally posted this, and while cleaning up drafts, I happened upon it and realised I should have left it in, so it's back now. Comes right after Sofia hurries back to find Cedric awake.

 **Author's note:** I KNOW this is super late. As soon as I post this, I'm gonna get started on the next chapter to make sure it comes out on schedule. It's just that fight scenes kill me and this was basically ALL fight scenes. If the muse plays nice, I'll try to sneak an extra update in somewhere so it comes out as the right amount of chapters for this season. Big thanks to D for helping me on this one. Turns out several sessions per week of D&D makes one more qualified than I am to write fighting, and he gave me some great insight on how to have actions speak to someone's character and be relevant. Not sure how well I put them to use, but I was happy for the help all the same.


	9. Night Out

**Birthright**

 **Chapter 8:** Night Out

* * *

"Care to enlighten me?" Cedric enquired about their destination as Sofia led him out of the cemetery.

She only shook her head, unwilling to spoil the surprise. What she needed - what they both deserved - was some normality, no matter how fleeting, if they expected to maintain their sanity. She had just the place in mind, somewhere they could pretend they were ordinary friends on a night out, friends who hadn't nearly just lost each other for good. As they strolled through the cobblestone streets of the village, Sofia hummed and pounced upon every stray leaf that crossed their path, purposefully leaving all the ugliness of the night behind them at the graveyard.

"A tavern?" Cedric's expression was a perfect blend of perplexed and intrigued as they slowed to a halt in front of the small stone building, warmth and cheer practically radiating from within its walls. "I hardly think–"

"Don't. Don't think about it. Just relax with me for a little while?"

For a moment his expression was unreadable, and she truly suspected he would refuse her request, but soon a crooked grin lazily traced its way across his face, and he breezed past her to hold open the door.

Sofia bobbed her head in appreciation as she entered, leading the way to the bar in the centre of the sparsely populated establishment.

"So, what'll it be?" Cedric questioned, joining her side and browsing over a chalked menu on the makeshift wall above the shelves of colourful glass bottles.

Sofia didn't need to read it. she knew exactly what she'd come here for.

"Hot apple cider", she answered enthusiastically, already rubbing her hands together in anticipation of the seasonal beverage she always waited the entire year for.

He quirked an eyebrow at her request, but relayed it to the barkeeper when he took their order. As she expected, Cedric ordered himself a whiskey — though he did select a cinnamon-flavoured one instead of his standard fare.

While they waited for the burly but sweet-mannered man to return with their drinks, Sofia scanned the room for a good place to sit. The perfect spot awaited, a cosy secluded corner near the lit fireplace, containing two inviting arm chairs. Worried that it wouldn't stay vacant for long, she hurried to claim the seats, sinking into the mustard yellow chair with a heavy sigh of relief. Parts of her she barely knew existed still ached from battle, and the heat of the fire eased the tension in her bones far better than she had anticipated.

She stared into the flames, lulled by their hypnotic dancing, until Cedric handed her the mug full of cider, which she pressed between her palms. This was what she wanted: a safe, happy night out with her best friend, filled with comfort and pleasant conversations. Fighting might help to clear her head temporarily, but it could never lift her spirit the way five minutes in the pub had already done.

"Are you going to drink that or stare at it all night?" Cedric teased, sneaking a quick glance in her direction before discreetly withdrawing his wand and whispering a few words in Latin, his magic coaxing the small fire to attention.

"I was just thinking", Sofia admitted with a soft smile.

"So was I. Something keeps nagging at me", Cedric mused between sips of his whiskey, the drink already colouring his usually pale cheeks. He removed his robe and discarded it on the arm of his chair before easing back into the tufted seat. "Four vampires in one night, several in the last few days… I wasn't under the impression that Dunwiddie had such a high population."

Sofia tried her hardest to mask her disappointment in his choice of topics. He was more knowledgeable about the subject, after all, and if he felt something was amiss, it was worth discussing. There would be time for relaxing once his worries were addressed.

"You think there's something strange going on?" Sofia enquired, leaning forwards to maintain the intimacy of their hushed conversation, one that demanded privacy due to its sensitive nature.

Cedric frowned into his glass, swirling the liqueur absently. "It might be nothing, but yes…" He sighed, raising the drink to his thinly drawn lips again only to stop before imbibing further. "Typically they gather in one spot when something foul is afoot."

"Samhain?" she offered, believing it reasonable to suspect that the darker nature of her favourite holiday would make it a major night for the forces of the underworld.

Cedric set his glass aside and shook his head, his smile suggesting otherwise.

"What is it?"

"There is surprisingly little activity on Samhain. You'll basically have the night off. It's like an… undead holiday, if you will", Cedric explained, much to her disbelief.

"Don't holidays typically involve feasting?" Sofia countered, scrunching her nose distastefully at her own morbid train of thought.

"Alright, it isn't the best analogy, I'll grant you that much", Cedric conceded the point, reaching for his drink once again. "But I swear it's true, Samhain is like a temporary truce between demons and humans."

Sofia considered this, trying to think of any other reason for a swell in numbers. Suddenly, she recalled something that was said to her earlier in the night, not long before all hell broke loose. She hadn't found a chance to tell Cedric about it just yet, and there was always a chance that it could be relevant.

"The hooded man", she began, trying to puzzle out the details of a conversation that felt like it occurred a lifetime ago. "He said that the man with the talons was some sort of… Master vampire."

Cedric frowned, and she wondered if he knew what their not-quite-ally had meant by that.

"The hooded man said that talon man is a master?" Cedric repeated slowly, and Sofia nodded her affirmation.

"Yes. What do you think?" she pressed, leaning even closer.

Cedric chugged some more of his whiskey, eyeing her over the rim as he absorbed this information. Finally, he nursed the mug between his gloved hands and shrugged.

"I think there are far too many men in your life."

Sofia groaned at the joke, waiting for a more substantial answer that didn't come. "Cedric, be serious", she chided, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at him.

"I am serious. Sofia, I–" He was just collecting her hand in one of his when a familiar voice interrupted him.

"Well, well… if it isn't two of my favourite people."

Sofia peeked up just in time to meet the sparkling emerald eyes of her long-time witch friend.

Lucinda perched on the arm of the chair, wrapping her arms around Sofia's shoulders and squeezing her tightly. "What are you guys doing here?"

When Cedric only stammered, at a loss for a decent fib, Sofia swept in to rescue him. "Talking about Samhain", she supplied, figuring it was more or less true.

"Perfect! Any plans? I'm off that night, so I'd be more than happy to tag along."

Her gaze travelled back and forth between the pair, and though Sofia knew there were still more important matters to be discussed, she was grateful for this nice, mundane change of subject.

"Well, there's the festival, of course," she answered, pausing to smile at Cedric, who was no doubt planning something spectacular for the event, as he did every year. "And I've just learnt that we'll be free the rest of the evening."

"Perfect!" Lucinda clapped her hands together eagerly. "We should go trick-or-treating, just like the old days."

"Aren't you two a little old for that?" Cedric countered, but Sofia was already busy considering the possibility.

"You are never too old for trick-or-treating", Lucinda insisted. "Besides, I don't know about you, but I wanna see what Sofia comes up with for a costume. Bet she'll look fantastic!"

Sofia giggled at the sing-song tone her friend's voice took on as she added the last part, but Cedric only bristled all the more.

"I'll be otherwise engaged. I have tasks to do for the festival, and after that, well… lots of reading to do, and all that."

Lucinda groaned, giving Sofia a 'can you believe him' nudge in the arm.

"Oh come on, Master Cedric", Lucinda drawled, invoking her brief period as his other apprentice in her attempt to persuade him. "Your books will survive one night without you."

"I'll go", Sofia interjected, expertly distracting Lucinda from her good-natured teasing. She could swear she saw a grateful smile flash across Cedric's face, so she nodded lightly in silent reply. "It's short notice, but I think I can manage a decent costume. Maybe an angel…?"

"That would be perfect. I could find a spell to conjure you some convincing wings", Lucinda bubbled, standing to pace while she plotted the details.

Sofia was just preparing to turn down the offer, recalling her sister's run in with magical wings when they were younger, when Cedric downed the last of his whiskey and stood abruptly.

"You're not leaving, are you?" she asked perhaps too quickly.

"Uhm, no… no, I was just going to get another round."

Though he said that, Sofia didn't miss the way his eyes landed on the door.

"Do you need more– it was Cider, right?"

She held up her half-filled glass to show that she was nowhere near ready for a refill just yet.

"I'll take a hard cider", Lucinda chimed in, but a withering glare caused her to chew her lip sheepishly.

"One regular cider it is", Cedric mumbled, taking his leave.

Both girls watched the shape of his retreating back until Lucinda shrugged, dropping herself onto Sofia's lap.

"So… am I," she paused, drawing in a deep breath and examining Sofia curiously. "Am I interrupting something?"

Sofia considered her answer carefully. It was technically true that the witch had come at an inopportune time, but she obviously meant it in a very different way, one that didn't involve the secretive discussion of blood-sucking fiends and their penchant for staying in on the upcoming holiday, nor of mystery men with their vague warnings and questionable allegiances.

"Of course not. Why do you ask?" she settled on good old-fashioned deflection, and this tactic seemed to work, at least for now.

"I don't know." Lucinda shrugged, flashing another glance over her shoulder toward the bar to check that they still had time to talk. "It just felt like Cedric was kind of cranky. I mean more than usual."

"I don't think he's been sleeping well", Sofia excused the behaviour, though she honestly wondered about his rapid change in mood since Lucinda had appeared, too.

It could just be that he was still trying to decide if they should trust what the hooded man had told her, and if it explained the phenomenon he was concerned over.

"Probably too busy planning the festiv– What?" she demanded, just now noticing the way Lucinda was staring at her.

"I feel like you're keeping secrets, and that's not allowed."

Sofia shook her head in emphatic denial, but this only prompted the witch to peer even closer.

"Come on, Sofia! We're practically sisters. You can tell me anything."

"Alright, fine. But you have to promise not to tell anyone…"

Lucinda made a hasty motion across her heart, but Sofia hesitated, praying her next words wouldn't stir up too much trouble.

...

Cedric rested against the bar as he waited for the drinks to come, keeping a watchful eye on the girls. Truthfully, the witch couldn't have come at a better moment, and he should be thankful to her for that. But all this talk of costumes and childish rituals was unsettling for reasons he either couldn't explain or didn't care to, and her presence was preventing them from making any headway on the vampire situation. If the 'Hooded Man' as Sofia had taken to calling him – and really, how else were they supposed to refer to the lad – really thought that the vampire who'd nearly bit Sofia was a Master, then that paired with her brief description of the monster might be enough for him to research further on his own, if only the persistent girl would let him out of her sight.

 _An angel_ , his thoughts sidetracked on their own accord. _Of all the things she could have chosen._ If he believed in psychics, he would easily confuse Sofia for one. After all, he'd made the comparison at least a few times this past week alone.

He cocked an eyebrow when both girls shot cautious looks in his direction, wondering what they could possibly be conspiring now. They returned to their whispering in short order, and the barkeep set two drinks in front of him. _Alright, Cedric, time to snap out of it_ , he gave himself the pep-talk while downing half the glass of whiskey, then lifted the other glass to return to his seat.

"Oh, my… Gods! You're kidding?" Lucinda shouted, earning annoyed stares from most of the patrons.

Cedric hurried back, trying to avoid making assumptions about what had caused such a reaction, but only one possibility sprang to mind. _It can't be_ , he reassured himself. _If there's anything that Sofia is an expert at, it's keeping secrets._

"What's going on here?"

Both heads snapped up to face him as he spoke.

"Nothing!" Sofia blurted out, but her cheeks flamed crimson, and she failed to meet his eyes.

"Just gossiping", Lucinda chirped at the same time, her lie only slightly less obvious than Sofia's.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I've been battling a terrible sinus infection, but I was determined to get this done. Still, proofreading and some of the usual pains I take with chapters were light on this one, so I apologise if there's any big mistakes, but I don't *believe* that there are.

Hoping to make the empty spot between Season 1 and Season 2 (from merging the 2 shorter chapters at the end of Season 1) into a short bonus/side chapter of sorts... You know, add something interesting without having a major effect on the main story, like they do in manga sometimes. I have the basic idea already, so it's just up to when I feel better...

Full disclosure: The "too many men" line is actually a barely adapted part from Buffy, just because I really like that scene and it fit so well here. It isn't about the Master in that scene, just a random vamp who's stronger than most, but it still warrants pointing out.


End file.
